The Closest Thing to Crazy
by Shaz1
Summary: Sequel to 'Leave Right Now' Jack has left the Turner home, but can he face his demons alone? Chapter Thirty Up at long long last! Please RandR!
1. Chapter One

The Closest Thing to Crazy

By Sharron Ibbitson

Rating: R to be safe, some violence and bad language

Disclaimer: bloody hell must we go through this every time! I do not sodding own Jack Sparrow, what? Oh sorry _Captain _Jack Sparrow or any other characters recognised in this fiction. I would like to borrow them for a couple of night ;-) but Disney aren't very obliging!

Summary: This is the second story in the 'Leave Right Now' series, please read and review let me know what you think! This story starts immediately where LRN left off. You need to have read the other story first (and reviewed!!!!!) or this will make no sense at all!

The Closest Thing to Crazy

Chapter One

"Why would he just up and leave?" Elizabeth asked his fiancé almost frantic with worry. Their good friend Jack Sparrow had arrived on their doorstep two days previously, wet and bleeding profusely from a bullet wound. The pirate Captain had been weak and seemingly traumatised by whatever had caused his injury. They knew that most of Jack's crew had been killed in the incident that had got Jack so badly wounded, yet they had no further details than that. Jack had withdrawn from them almost immediately, whatever had happened had obviously affected him very badly, but they had never expected him to just leave the house without a word. Elizabeth knew that she would never understand jack Sparrow, but she did know that that afternoon when he had cried in her arms, she had felt her heart break right next to him. She would never of thought of Jack being so broken, so outright sorrowful, yet he had broken down in her arms, mourning for the loss of his crew, the loss of the last of his innocence, and Elizabeth had had no real idea of how to help him. If only he would have told them what had happened, but now he was gone, and there was little she could do about it. 

"I honestly don't know sweetheart" Will replied, softly, pulling the young woman into his arms. He totally shared her reaction, he was just as angry as she was, yet his anger was by far outweighed by his concern for his friend. Captain Jack had come to them for help, showing a level of trust that he undoubtedly had not shown anybody for quite some time. He had been separated by his crew and his ship in order to seek them out, yet he refused to go into any detail about what had caused such injuries. Will sighed to himself, he didn't like to think of Jack out there somewhere alone, and injured, yet how would he ever find him?

/////

Captain Jack Sparrow sighed, and took a deep breath, only stopping when the action aggravated his injured torso. He was relieved to be back on the water, pleased that he would no longer be placing Will or Elizabeth at risk. Jack closed his eyes against the thought of his dear friends, as much as he hated to admit he loved those two. They had seen something in him that people never usually took the time to find, and that caused a warm glow in his heart. They were his family, yet he knew he would probably never see them again. He would never risk his friends again, he knew he would never have another nightmare free night again as long as he lived, for every time he drifted off the blood dripping on his decks, Marty's shocked face as the cannonball ripped through his mid-drift cutting the midget in half, and then poor dear Cotton as he had his head ripped in two by that gunshot. Jack's thoughts were cut off as once again he had to lean over the railing of the mighty ship to heave. His stomach was long since empty as he had not eaten in nearly four days, yet the dry heaves continued to wrack his body as his memories haunted him, goading him with their continuous presence, reminding him of the deaths he had caused. Sure his hand may not have been on the trigger or the fuse but he had caused those deaths just as sure as if he had killed them with his own two hands and that was the thought that made the bile rise in his throat. He winced once more as his body reminded him of the recently removed bullet, and he gently placed the palm of his hand against his stitched torso, and wasn't surprised when his hand came away sticky and red with blood. He sighed, it was pretty much what he had expected, after all he couldn't really expect the stitches to survive his mad dash through the streets of Port Royale, his commandeering of the ship and then setting sail single headedly en route to Tortuga. Plus the fact that he had also been forced to endure bout after bout of nausea. He sighed again, and at the pull on his side made a mental note not to do so again, he stumbled his way back to the helm and prayed that he would soon be back with his remaining crew member and his pearl, yet now that didn't induce the same reaction in him as it would have a mere week ago. He shook his head, determined not to sink back into his dark thoughts, he was captain Jack Sparrow and he had a ship to sail, then he could fall apart.

////

"Tortuga" Will said out of the blue, and Elizabeth looked at him puzzled. "Tortuga that is where Jack will have gone. It's where he'll be meeting the Pearl" he explained, and Elizabeth grinned in agreement.

"Well what are we waiting for then? Lets go!" she told him, and she was already on her feet and half way up the stairs before he had a chace to move.

End Chapter One

Right that's it, is it worth continuing? Please let me know what you think! Updates on this are going to be regular, but not as often as on some of my other stories, as I want to concentrate on getting Friend in Need finished, and then go all guns blazing on this. I just couldn't resist the urge to start this, it was nagging in the back of my mind!


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Thank you all for your kind reviews! I am glad that you seem to like this story to be honest, I wasn't completely sure how it would go down, but since it seems to have caused quite a good reaction I shall continue with it! Thank you once again for taking the time to review, please continue to review! Please be warned that there are some scenes of violence in this fiction, so if that sort of thing upsets of offends you, don't read any further.

Chapter Two

By the time Jack had managed to dock at Tortuga he was ready to pass out from a combination of pain and exhaustion, plus the steady flow of blood from his newly reopened bullet wound. He breathed a huge sigh of relief when he caught sight of his ship nearby. Yet the memories were too much for him to face at the moment. He clambered unsteadily from his new ship and landed on the dock side, swaying more so than usual, he was in two minds about what to do next. Should he head straight to his ship, or should he try and get drunk in order to face it? After a moments hesitation he allowed his feet to carry him to the only home had ever known, his Pearl. As he climbed up the gangplank, he closed his eyes as memories once again assailed his mind. Before the Pearl had induced feelings of pride and grandeur, now all he felt was sick. This deck was where he had lost the vast majority of the best crew he had ever sailed with, all because of a gross miscalculation on his part. Was he really cut out to Captain this ship any more? He lovingly ran his hand against the smooth word of the railing, lost in thought, it was true that he loved this ship with all his heart, and at one time would have done anything to get her back, to feel her deck beneath his feet, his body naturally following every movement of her at sea, his hands guiding the wheel to perfection and moving in perfect synchrony to her. Yes Captain Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl went together exactly like a horse and carriage, you shouldn't have one without the other, yet was it too high a price to pay? Marty and Cotton had both been good men. Loyal to the last, they had respected the Captain, probably more that he deserved, and it had cost them their lives. He closed his eyes once more, the sound of cannon balls and gun shots echoing in his mind, his thoughts unable to drown them out, and with a sob Jack sank down to the deck beneath him. Now he was alone, and back on the Black pearl, he could cry for his friends. Now he was home he could fall apart, the Pearl would understand. So it was that Captain and Ship mourned for the loss of their crew, as the rain poured down on the two sorrowful figures in the darkness.

/////

"Will shh! They are going to hear you!" Elizabeth hissed at the young blacksmith. Will turned around to face her.

"I am being as quiet as I can, please excuse me if I am not the professional sort of ship thief that you are used to!" he whispered back at her harshly, and she shot him a reproachful grin. The two of them were currently walking along the edge of the dock, trying to find a small enough ship that the two of them, amateur seamen that they were, would be able to sail to Tortuga without help.

"This is no good!! We're never going to find a ship small enough, let alone steal it!" Elizabeth told her fiancé in frustration, they were so desperate to get to their friend as quickly as possible, yet neither of them possessed the capabilities of the pirate Captain, who evidently had had no problems in finding a ship suitable to his needs and sailing off in to the night, even though he was seriously wounded. 

"Commandeer Elizabeth, that's the nautical term" Will replied quietly sadness in his tone as he recalled the words jack had spoken to him as they stood at this very dock the first time that they met. Oh but that seemed an age ago, yet Will would do anything to have that Captain Jack Sparrow back rather than the injured and emotionally wrecked man that had recently vacated their home. Elizabeth understood his meaning and smiled weakly, before squeezing his hand, she was equally as worried about their friend. Jack had saved her life more than once, and now he was somewhere out there, alone and in pain, and they had to find him.

"Maybe we should barter passage" she suggested, bringing up one of their original ideas.

"Yes, but you have seen the shipping schedules, none of these ships are heading anywhere near Tortuga until three days at least, I don't want to wait that long" Will responded, then stopped before he continued as he finally spotted a little ship bobbing up and down in the water before them. No one was around it, and no one was on board. Will excitedly gestured at the lonely ship and Elizabeth felt her heart leap as they had finally found their vessel for their journey. Newly encouraged Will took the lead, with his fiancée following closely behind. The two boarded and set sail with no difficulty as nobody was anywhere near that end of the dock, not even the ever present red coats. Neither of the youngsters relaxed until they had been out to sea for a couple of hours, with no sign of being followed, then they seemed to breathe a simultaneous sigh of relief.

"Will, did you happen to notice the name of this ship?" Elizabeth asked when she felt sae enough to speak above a whisper. Will turned to look at her and shook his head to the negative. "It's called 'Sparrow's Flight'" she told him, and he smiled at this news, perhaps fate was on their side after all. 

End Chapter Two

Well what do you think? Please review because this story really has me nervous!


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Thank you to those that are still reading and reviewing, please keep letting me know what you think!

Chapter Three

"How long do you think Jack will stay in Port Royal?" Anamaria asked her sole remaining fellow crewmember as she took a sip of her ale. The two had journeyed to Tortuga to try to find some semblance of a replacement crew, whilst their seriously injured Captain had headed for Port Royal for the ministrations of his friends. 

"I don't know pet, I really don't. captain was hurt quite bad, not that he'd admit it mind, but that pool of blood beneath him told a different tale" Gibbs replied, his concern clear in his distant gaze. "I can't see him lingering at Will's for too long, not with that Commodore after his neck, but he sure as hell weren't fit to sail here alone neither" the large man continued. They were both aware of the words that remained unspoken between them. They were concerned for their Captain, it caused both of them to shudder at the memories of what had happened such a short time ago onboard a ship that they had all previously considered their haven against the World, the thing that brought them their freedom. 

_Flashback_

_"Do you want us to go after that there ship? Looks harmless, we could do with a good plunder to keep the spirits up?" Anamaria asked her Captain, he turned to her his eyes dancing, but not with amusement._

_"And just why would they need their spirits lifting?" he asked her his paranoia coming to the forefront. She sighed deeply, and placed her hands on her slender hips._

_"Jack, when are you going to get past this? How long will it take before you stop thinking that we're gonna mutiny every chance we get?" Anamaria asked him in a long suffering tone. Jack sighed, and visibly shuddered at the word 'mutiny'._

_"Okay if that's the case then we shall let it past. We are en route to visit Will and young Miss Swan, we have had a good couple of months looting, no need to push our luck" he told her. She rolled her eyes once more. _

_"Jack sparrow, you're getting soft, but I do agree with ye!" she retorted, and headed off to share the news with the rest of the crew. If it had been anyone's decision save for Jack's then the crew might have had a severe unrest, but they trusted their Captain implicitly. Besides they could all do with the break, they had been continually out to sea for a number of months, although they had prospered greatly each of them felt the need for solid ground beneath their feet even if only for a day or two. _

_"Ana?" he called after her._

_"Yes Jack?" she responded questioningly. _

_"That's Captain Jack, savvy?" he told her, and she heaved a dramatic sigh._

_"Yes Captain" she replied then headed off. Jack grinned at her back, as much as he hated to admit it, he loved the woman, but he knew he would never tell her as much. _

_End Flashback._

"You know he blames himself don't you?" Gibbs asked her when they had sat lost in their own thoughts for a while.

"Aye I guessed as much" she replied softly.

"He shouldn't" Gibbs muttered before knocking back the remainder of his rum.

"No he shouldn't, but since when did Jack Sparrow care about doing what he should be doing?"  She answered thoughtfully, and downed the remainder of her tankard of ale. She herself was troubled by her memories of that day, but the image that stayed with her more than any was the vision of her Captain splayed out on the deck, his clothes soaked through with his own blood mingling with that of his beloved crew, and blood splattered across his face. But worse than that was when he opened his eyes and looked at her, the soul deep agony that radiated from him, clearly showed that that day would scar him for forever, in a way that went far beyond the bullet wound. Jack Sparrow's World had been rocked to its core, she only hoped he would be able to steady it. 

////

"How long before we get there?" Elizabeth asked her fiancé impatiently. Her concern for her friend multiplied with every passing hour, and somehow she knew that they had to get to him soon, else they may be too late to help him. 

"I think we shall be there by dawn" Will replied, his thoughts drifting along the same lines as his fiancée. He felt a burning need to get to Jack and demand to know everything that had happened that had got Jack so torn up, and his crew savagely murdered, yet he was all too aware that Jack was tight lipped at the best of times, as Gibbs had said he played things very close to the vest, and if he didn't want you to know something then hell you weren't ever going to know it. Elizabeth nodded in response to his answer, yet her mind was quite obviously on other things as well. The two sat like that for some time, each lost in their own minds, until Elizabeth broke the silence. 

"Do you think he's okay?" she asked, desperate for Will's reassurance.

"I don't know, I wish I did, but I just don't. My heart tells me that if Jack was dead, I would feel it, my head tells me that I would have no way of knowing, and then there is this drawling voice that drowns out each of my other two thoughts with the words 'I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?'" he told her in a near perfect imitation of the pirate Captain, and Elizabeth chuckled lightly.

"Thanks Will" she told him, grateful for his words. The two soon settled back into their rhythm, both exhausted but knowing that their bodies needed rest far less than Jack needed them the only difference was their body told them constantly of it's need, Jack tried to disguise his. With renewed determination the two silently pushed their little boat to its limits, for the 'Sparrow's Flight' had a Sparrow to find. 

////

Captain Jack Sparrow laid exactly where he had fell, tear stains evident against his pale cheeks. His hand still clamped over his bleeding abdomen, trying to stem the flow that had already soaked the thick bandages and all of his layers of clothing. He stared at a spot far off into the distance, his face seemingly devoid of any emotion, yet inside Jack was screaming, he knew without a doubt that he was dying. He could feel death clawing him, trying to snatch him into its grasp, tempting him with visions of blessed darkness away from his thoughts. Jack shook his head intent on resisting the offer of succumbing to darkness that he knew he would never wake from. He grabbed the railing above his head, and slowly hoisted himself to his feet, his vision swimming as he was vertical again, yet he held on tight, Jack Sparrow may be many things but he was not a quitter. He looked down to his bloody torso, and cursed.

"Elizabeth is going to kill me" he thought to himself, as he saw how thoroughly he had undone her handy work. As his thoughts turned to Elizabeth he sighed deeply troubled. He had waked out of their lives for their own good; he had done the right thing. He had spent the most part of a life time on his own before he had ever met them, and he could surely manage the rest of his years in the same way.

_How can I think I'm standing strong_

Had he done the right thing? Sure they'd be mad as hell at him, but they'd get over him. He was nothing but trouble to them anyway. Will had nearly got hung because of him before, then why did he feel so empty in side, like he had lost part of himself?

_Yet feel the air beneath my feet_

He rubbed his bloody hand over his face. He had felt safe at the Turner residence, probably as safe as he had ever felt anywhere else, and it had felt good to have people caring about him, but there was always that voice niggling at the back of his mind, warning him that it could only turn out badly. Besides who was he to have people care for him, he didn't deserve it, he had caused the death of many good men, why should he be happy?

_How can happiness feel so wrong?_

He was better off where he was now, alone in the dark cold night on his Pearl. Bleeding, and most likely dying, yet where any Captain belonged, on board his ship. He needed to cast Turner and his girl out of his mind; it would do him no good to think about them, no need to further torture his troubled mind. 

_How can misery seem so sweet?_

He looked out across the bay of Tortuga, he knew that Gibbs and Ana would most likely be drowning their sorrows in one of the taverns, that would ordinarily only be a few moments walk away from the Pearl's docking, yet in his current state Jack doubted he could crawl it in a day let alone before he bled to death. He was pulled roughly out of his thoughts by a hard steel object against his throat; he turned slowly around to face the person that brandished the weapon.

"Hello Jack" a familiar voice greeted him, and before the pirate Captain had the time to respond a harsh fist had connected with the torn flesh of his stomach, and he collapsed to the ground gasping for breath. His eyes rolled back in his head and slumping down to the deck, Captain Jack Sparrow ran into the welcoming arms of darkness.

/////

"Do ye want another?" Gibbs asked his companion, his voice slurred so he almost sounded like their Captain.

"Aye, we may as well. It isn't like we have got anything to rush back to the Pearl for" she responded, she knew that the next day they would have to start recruiting their new crew, and she hoped that the alcohol would help to numb the pain in her soul, the concern for her Captain in her heart, and mask the smell of blood that followed her around after she had scrubbed the decks of the ship of the life liquid of her former crewmates. 

"No I suppose there isn't" Gibbs responded, gesturing to the barmaid, and settling down once more on the bar stool, ready to drink the night away.

/////

End Chapter Three

Okay that was slightly longer than intended! Sorry guys! Anyway as always here is the bit where I beg for reviews!!!! So please let me know your thoughts!


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Thank you all very much for your reviews! I hope that you didn't mind my little cliff hanger too much! Anyway please keep reading and reviewing!!

Chapter Four

The two pirates sat side by side in the dark tavern, both brooding into their drinks. Their hearts just weren't in it that night, their minds quite obviously elsewhere. Both of them haunted by the images of their comrades massacred in front of them, and worst of all the expression on their Captain's face as he was splattered with the blood of one of his crew. 

_Flashback_

_"Captain they are turning. Shit they are firing on us!" Marty yelled out, Anamaria heard her fellow crewman yell. The next sound she heard was a great roaring sound followed by an almighty bang. She whirled around, and could see Marty nowhere. She didn't have to look far to fathom exactly what had happened, one look at her Captain told the whole story. He stood his mouth slightly ajar, his face splattered with the smaller man's blood, and his eyes swirling with emotion, one second hurt, and the next a deep loss, and then finally a harsh rage, that she knew she wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of. His next words confirmed her thoughts._

_"Right you rabid dogs, return fire, give em everything ya got" he yelled, drawing his own pistol and sword in preparation, Anamaria didn't hesitate, her cutlass in her hand before the words had left his mouth. She clashed swords with countless opponents, her mind as focused as she was sure the rest of the crew were. She had no idea of how much time passed, and she couldn't afford the time it would take to stop and check. She didn't even know who was winning, all that she knew was that it was kill or be killed, and she sure as hell had no intention of dying that day. It wasn't until she had fallen her last man that she dared to let her attention drift to the battle before her. She surveyed the scene before her, the deck was awash with blood, and bodies were littered every where. Very few of either crew were still standing, yet she had no idea even why they had been attacked. Finally she managed to find her Captain amongst the chaos, she could clearly see that he was tiring, there was no way he would last much longer, she was shocked to see he was fighting switch, yet her confusion was cleared up by the growing blood stain along his right arm, dripping down his hand. She watched for a moment in concern, yet could spare no longer away from the battle, as once again she had to slip into defensive mode, and counter a powerful blow that would have cut her in two had her reflexes been even slightly slower. _

_End Flashback_

"You know it should never have even happened? Jack was going to let them sail right past, not even going after the loot" Anamaria commented, more to shake her thoughts from her head, than any real desire for conversation. 

"Aye lass, the whole thing is a waste. A waste of some good men" Gibbs responded, then cast his mind back to the last moments in his good friend's life.

_Flashback_

_Gibbs finally managed to parry and catch his opponent unawares, in a duel that he had feared he would not win. Luckily it seemed as though the two crews had met a bit of a stalemate as neither had very many men left standing. His thoughts were proved very wrong, as two simultaneously gunshots ripped through the air. The heavy man turned and covered the length of the deck to the source of the sound in mere seconds. He was mindless to eh carnage around him, with only one mission in mind. He was knelt beside his Captain on the deck in the blink of an eye. Jack had squeezed his eyes tightly shut, as the pain coursed thorough him, yet Gibbs' navy training had taught hi that it was important to stay awake as long as possible. Gibbs looked up in relief when another friendly face appeared beside him. Cotton, had obviously heard the shot as well. The two men looked down at their Captain; worry clear in both of their expressions. He was coated in thick blood, even though it wasn't all his, enough of it was to cause concern. Gibbs smiled, when his young friend slowly opened his eyes, and seemed to stare at them for a moment._

_"Jack are ya with us lad?" the older pirate asked his Captain gently, yet Jack's attention was capture else where. Gibbs was just about to shake him, as the younger man seemed to be staring off into the distance, yet the loud gunshot from behind him, quickly told him what had caught the Captain's attention. Gibbs saw the utter amazement and sadness in the younger man's eyes, and then he saw Cotton slumped to the deck, a huge bloody gaping hole where his face should have been, and he wished he could have joined Jack in passing out and let oblivion take him. He carefully squeezed his Captain's shoulder, took a deep breath, then got to his feet and with an almighty roar he drew his sword once more and charged at the murderer. His anger blinding him to his distinct disadvantage, given the fact that he had no idea where the other man even was. He looked around him frantically searching out the bastard that had dared to cross the Black __Pearl__. His attention was caught by the clashing of blades, so he followed d his ears to the source. He was astonished to find Anamaria fighting the last remaining opponent. She was obviously exhausted; hell so was he, but this was his fight. He owed that much to Cotton. He stepped forward, and Ana sensing his presence stepped aside. He walked forward, and lightly bowed, Jack style, and then all that could be seen was the flash of metal on metal as the two men battled for their lives, and for their honour. _

_End Flashback_

"Are ye bothered about another?" An asked her companion, effectively dragging him out of his thoughts. She herself just wanted to get back to the only home she knew, curl up away from the World and sob herself to sleep no matter how un-pirate like that was, she wasn't ashamed of the thoughts, yet she was still unwilling to admit to Gibbs. 

"Na, we may as well head back to the Pearl" Gibbs agreed, and the two got to their feet, downed their drinks and headed out of the tavern  without so much as a backward glance. They walked out into the cool night, walking back to the docks in silence.

////

"Will, I don't know how much longer I can last" Elizabeth told her finance uncharacteristically. These were the first words to leave her mouth for the last four hors, and will knew that if she was admitting weakness then she must truly be struggling. He sighed deeply; they couldn't afford to stop, not when they were so very close to reaching Tortuga. 

"See that speck of land in the distance?" he asked her, gesturing over her shoulder, and at her nod he continued. "Well that is Tortuga, another two hours and we shall be there" he told her, and she simply nodded, then set back at work, newly re energised at his words. 

End Chapter Four

Okay please Review???? Please???!?!?!?!?!?!?! That is if you ever want to find out if anyone finds Jack in time to help him!!!


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Okay I keep telling myself that I won't post anymore of this until a few more chapters of Friend in Need are up, but then I feel really cruel for leaving jack undiscovered and unaided, so I write another, yet somehow I have still left Jack undiscovered and unaided, and so the vicious circle continues. Tell me do you think it wicked of me the way I left ya hanging two nights in a row? Anyway thank you all so very much for the reviews it means a lot! Please keep them coming for me??!?!?!

Chapter Five

The two pirates strolled through the streets of Tortuga heading for the dock. The journey was passed in silence, neither of them feeling the need for conversation. They both walked hunched over, partly because they were so spent after the last few days, and partly to give themselves some protection from the persistent rain that fell continually upon them. They walked slowly not really feeling a great hurry to return to their ship, only doing so as they could linger no longer in the dank tavern. So the whole journey passed in the same way, that is until Gibbs came to a sudden halt.

"What?" Ana asked, unable to tell exactly what he was looking at. He pointed slightly to the left of them

"Look, that ship there. That's got Port Royal markings on, it wasn't there before" he told her, and she immediately understood what he was trying to say. Suddenly more alert both pirates quickened their pace and approached the small ship, which bobbed harmlessly up and down in the calm waters of the bay. Gibbs stepped on board as quiet as a man of his size could manage, and Ana followed close behind.

"I think that Jack commandeered this and sailed here alone" Ana commented.

"What makes you say that? Could just be coincidence" Gibbs responded, confused by the surety in her tone.

"No, look at that" she told him, and when he did he gasped. The helm was slick with blood, and at that moment Gibbs got the feeling of dread deep down in the pit of his stomach.

"Aye, I'd say that it's Jack all right, stupid stubborn fool" he muttered. "Where do you think he's taken himself off to?" he asked the dark woman besides him. She shrugged.

"Only place the Captain would ever willingly go to find hep, back to the Pearl" she responded, and Gibbs nodded, knowing that she was more than likely correct. Together the two made an about face, and headed back to their ship, this time sprinting all the way in the most inconspicuous manner that they could.

/////

Jack opened his eyes, and immediately regretted the action, as his vision spun around him. He stifled a groan at the last minute when he attempted to sit up. His stomach was on fire, and he felt so very cold. He looked around him, trying to work out where he was, but his muddled mind couldn't. He was laying on a hard surface, so he obviously wasn't still back at the Turners. He desperately tried to cast his mind back to what on Earth had happened, and suddenly all of the events of the last week came up and hit him full force. He forced himself to blink back the tears that threatened to rise. So he was back on the Pearl, and he seemed to be alone, so how come he had been punched unconscious by that oh so familiar face? He shook his head once more to try to clear the cobwebs from his brain, but it was no good he was still drawing a blank. He tried to take a breath, but the wheezing sound in his chest only resulted in a deep hacking cough, that left him gasping. He closed his eyes as his vision blurred. How did he get himself into these messes? He leant back against the hard wood beneath him and allowed his thoughts to drift off.

////

Gibbs took a deep breath before slowly making his way up the gangplank to the Pearl. As much as he desperately wanted to see his Captain, he was also afraid about what he would find when he clambered aboard. His nostrils were assailed with the recently familiar smell of blood. Gibbs drew his cutlass for safety sake, and was reassured to catch the sound of Anamaria mirroring his action behind him. The two pirates exchanged one last final glance and a shaky smile, then together headed onto the deck, where their breath caught in their throats at the image in front of them.

End Chapter Five

Yep that's it for now, I know it was only short, but its about all the length that I can manage one handed at the minute, and since this story isn't really written in advance I am afraid that it all I can do for the mo! I am off work tomorrow, so will try to write a nice long chapter, but it depends on how long it takes at the doctors! Please review anyway??


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Well I am here! Thank you for all the reviews, I swear I have got some of the maddest reviewers on this site! But thank you all for your kind words, please keep them coming as regularly as you are doing!!!! Just for you lot Jack is back in this chapter, but you may need your hankies!

Chapter Six

Jack regained consciousness with a start, his mind no clearer than it had been the last time he had been greeted back into the World. He gasped as a spear of agony met his stomach, for an instant he regretted leaving the Turners. Just think he could be in a nice warm bed, with Will and Elizabeth to regale with his wild stories, but no instead he was laid out on a deck, slowly bleeding to death in the freezing rain, yet he knew he wouldn't have it any other way. This way he knew that his friends were safe and sound in Port Royal as they should be, away from the likes of him. 

//////

"I can't believe that we have actually pulled this off" Elizabeth exclaimed as her excitement at their mini adventure seemed to grow new life. She seemed to have worked through her exhaustion and now as they finally neared Tortuga. Who said that she couldn't have been a pirate? The two of them had made a pretty good job of it so far. They had commandeered a boat right from under the noses of the red coats, and sailed it alone from Port Royal to Tortuga, with little difficulty at all. Sure she knew that her muscles would seriously protest as soon as she allowed herself time to recognise them, but still she couldn't help the little speck of pride that she felt for their independent act. Will chuckled at her lightly, and she turned a puzzled gaze onto him. "What are you laughing at?" she asked him haughtily.

"If only Norrington could see you now!" he commented and laughed at the mental picture that represented. She flushed brightly.

"More to the point, if only Jack could see us now" she responded with a small smile, but they both soon sobered as they remembered the purpose behind their impromptu trip. 

////

Jack squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to collect his thoughts and attempt to fathom exactly what had happened. After him being punched in the stomach his mind became a blank, yet he could still feel the raw agony of the blow, so he knew that he hadn't imagined it. If he had, he would have been a little kinder to himself, yet there was no sign of that other man, and he wasn't tied up so what the hell had happened? Slowly his memories jumped into some semblance of order and visions passed through his mind. 

_The clash of metal on metal, blood, lunge after lunge. An overpowering dizziness as blood loss caught up wit him. Then a death blow, but no faces to complete the picture._

With a growl of frustration, Jack pulled himself up as much as he could manage, so that he was in a sitting position, his back resting against the railings with his knees stretched out in front of him. He once more applied firm pressure to the wound in his abdomen, and mentally crossed his fingers that someone would find him soon, and hopefully that someone would be a member of his side, although knowing his luck of late he doubted it.

/////

Elizabeth paced up and down in the tiny boat, and Will found himself leaning from side to side to compensate for the violent rocking of the vessel that she was causing. 

"Elizabeth, will you please sit down before you capsize us, I don't want to have to wait for Jack to come to us, it would kind of ruin our gallant attempts at a rescue" Will commented, meaning it despite the tone of jest in his voice. Elizabeth sighed deeply, and sat down reluctantly. She was quickly growing restless, as despite them making good time thus far, they no longer seemed to be getting any closer to the bay than they had been an hour ago, and she never was the most patient of people, and that night was proving no exception. She needed to get o Jack, just to know that he was okay. She wouldn't even care if he shouted at her, cursed her or anything, as long as he was stood on his own two feet and capable of doing so she would take whatever he could give. 

"I hope that Ana and Mr Gibbs have found Jack already, so our visit will appear more as a social call" she commented as the uneasy silence grew.

"I am sure they will have. The three of them are probably in a tavern somewhere drinking rum as we speak" Will responded, a slight smile across his young face as he pictured just that.

////

"Oh Christ" Gibbs muttered as he saw the lone figure laid out on the deck a pool of blood already formed underneath the dark figure, his eyes starring lifelessly in front of him, his face sickly pale under the moonlight. Anamaria stifled a sob as her worst fears suddenly seemed to be coming true. The man's hand was rested against his abdomen as he had obviously tried to stem the flow of his life fluid, even as he laid there surely aware that his life was ebbing away from him. 

"Is he dead?" Anamaria asked the large man beside her. He cast a sad gaze upon her before answering.

"No man could survive that, there can't be much blood left in his body" he told her, his tone regretful.

"Who do you think killed him like that? And why on the Pearl?" she asked him.

"I don't know lass, I just don't know" the former navy man responded, his eyes never leaving the lifeless form in front of them. __

End Chapter Six

Please don't shoot me?? Please review, Chapter seven tomorrow, with some surprises in store!!!!


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Hi guys, I am sorry I was so cruel at the end of the last chapter, but I couldn't resist. Come on it could have been worse I may have delayed the next chapter until after the weekend, couldn't I?

Oh and long reviews aren't torture for me I love em! Anyways please keep the reviews coming!

Chapter Seven

The two pirates looked at the fallen man, not really sure how to proceed.

"Well I guess one us should check im make sure he's actually dead" Gibbs muttered, yet neither of them made a move. Finally Anamaria rolled her eyes in frustration.

"Oh for heavens sake I'll do it!" she told him, and walked forward, she stopped and knelt down on the deck beside him, not seeming to care that his blood was now soaking through his breeches. She reached out and shook him, and he simply lolled to the side, she pressed her fingers against his neck, and no signs of life were present. She cast her gaze over his body, he had a number of cuts and bruises as if he had fought in a vicious battle, which she supposed he had. The fatal wound had obviously been the one to the stomach, and it didn't look as though it had been a quick death, no this man had bled slowly, until his vital fluid of life had drained away from him. "He's definitely dead" she called over to her friend, and Gibbs nodded sadly in response. 

/////

Just as the sun was beginning to rise in the sky the young couple could finally see land within their reach. They were both exhausted they had been going continually for 36 hours without a break, and they were just about ready to collapse it was only their sheer determination to get to their friend that had kept them going this far. 

"As soon as I have seen Jack, and know that he's all right, I am going to evict him out of his cabin, steel his bed and sleep for a week" Elizabeth commented.

"I think I'll be joining you" Will responded, and then blushed brightly as he realised what he had just said. Elizabeth laughed at his embarrassment.

"Oh Will don't be silly. That would be nice if you were to join me. We are almost married you know" she told him with a smile. He shook his head, hi face serious.

"No it wouldn't be proper. People already have enough opinions on our relationship, I don't wish to prove them right by taking your virtue before I have your hand in marriage" he told her gravely. She laughed once more at how seriously he spoke.

"Will the key word in that phrase was 'sleep' nothing more" she told him, and he blushed once more. "Besides I still have to try to convince Jack to relinquish the Captain's cabin" she continued, trying to lighten her fiancé's embarrassment. He laughed finally.

"Oh given how little Jack actually uses it himself, I doubt that that would prove to be a problem" he told her. 

////

"Come on lass, we got other matters to deal with" Gibbs prompted the dark woman, as she still knelt beside the dead seaman. 

"It's a shame we didn't get here quicker, we may have been able to save him" she commented.

"And what would that have achieved?" Gibbs asked.

"He may have had some answers" she responded, getting to her feet and following the large man. "Still it's too late for what ifs, lets go and find Jack" she commented and the two of them walked along the deck. They didn't have to walk far to find their captain, slumped over near to the railings, almost a mirror image of the dead man a little further away, the only differences were the shallow rise and fall of the pirate's chest, and that, much to their relief, he looked right at them, and smiled lightly clearly relived to see them. 

"You took your time" he wheezed lightly, in greeting to his two friends. Gibbs looked him up and down, not liking what he saw. He was more confused to see the blood stained cutlass in his Captain's hand. 

"I thought you went to Port Royal for help?" Ana commented, noticing all of the blood over the man.

"Aye, I did, then I left and came here" he responded. Both pirates could tell that no further information was going to be forthcoming. Gibbs sighed deeply.

"Come on you need to get out of those wet things so we can look at that wound" he told his Captain "Can ye walk?" he asked, taking in the younger man's pale complexion, and sweat on his brow. 

"If I could walk would I really be sat out here in the pissing rain?" Jack retorted, but the hacking cough that followed took the force out o his words, much to his disgust. Before he knew what was happening, he was scooped up into Gibbs' arms, and literally carried away from his position. Ordinarily he would never in a million years have allowed such an action, but at that point he couldn't even find the strength to speak let alone argue or struggle. He simply closed his eyes and one more drifted to oblivion, content in the knowledge that for the moment he was safe. 

End Chapter Seven

There you go- no cliff-hanger ending this time!!! Please review though?!?!?!?!??! 


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Heh come on how many of you thought that the dead man was Jack?? As if I would kill Jack Sparrow! I was just being very cruel by making you think that I would!!!  Anyway thank you once again for your wonderful reviews! Sorry for no update yesterday, but I am going as quick as I can!

Chapter Eight

Gibbs breathed a huge sigh of relief when he gently lowered his Captain down onto his bed. He lit as many candles as he could find in the cabin, hoping to create plenty of light and heat.

"At least we know where he is now" Ana commented. "Come on give me a hand, support him would ya?" she asked gesturing to the larger man. Gibbs sighed then once more stepped forward, he carefully propped his Captain forward into a sitting position whilst Anamaria tenderly pulled off his sodden coat and shirt. She threw them down into the corner of the room. There was no way that either item would be salvageable, both were soaked through with blood. When she turned back around, Jack was laid stretched out on the bed, and Gibbs was undoing the younger man's boots, he carefully pulled them off and set them down beside the bed, before turning his attention back to his Captain. He shook his head at the sheer volume of blood flowing from the slight man. Ana caught his glance, and left the cabin intent on obtaining some much needed supplies. Meanwhile Gibbs removed the sash from around his Captain's waist and placed his weapons on the bed side cabinet within easy reach of his paranoid Captain. 

"S'pose we need to get those wet breeches off of him as well" Ana stated as she walked back into the room. Gibbs chuckled slightly, but refrained from commenting on her statement, he merely helped her by lifting up the younger man's hips whilst she pulled the soaking wet material away from the slender form. When they were done, she pulled the blanket up, so that only the young man's naked torso was on display. 

"Daft fool's lucky he didn't bleed to death, we're lucky it was so cold and wet else he most likely would have" Gibbs muttered, more to himself to hear some words in the haunting silence of the cabin, than anything else. Ana nodded in agreement, and then carefully dipped the cloth in the warm water beside her, and set about once more cleaning her Captain's wounds, she winced in sympathy as she pushed on the still bleeding bullet wound. She couldn't help the image that shot through her mind, she was sure that the memories of that day would stay with her forever. 

"Pass us that rum would ya?" she prompted Gibbs when she had washed all of the blood away from the wound. Gibbs nodded, and then did as she bid. She carefully poured the liquid directly from the bottle onto her Captain's ripped torso, and even in his deeply unconscious state he flinched away from the burning sensation she caused with her action. "Shh, Jack its okay, I'm just cleaning it" she attempted to sooth the man, but he still jerked in his sleep. She sighed and then gently touched her hand to his forehead. "He's burning up" she told her friend, as she felt the heat radiating from her Captain's body. Gibbs sighed, knowing how difficult it was going to be for the younger man to fight fever in his already weakened state. 

"I had hoped we could avoid this, but obviously fate ain't on Jack's side tonight" he commented sadly.

"This wounds gonna need stitching, but I ain't got anything here to do it with. Besides I ain't so good with a needle, it was always Jack or Marty that tended to stuff like that" Anamaria commented, unable to suppress the flash of sadness in her eyes. 

"Aye lass I know. We'll just have to do the best we can for tonight, and try to get some help in the morning" Gibbs replied. Ana nodded, hoping that Jack could last that long. She pushed a cloth against the wound, and Gibbs' helped to carefully wind a bandage around the young man's toned chest and stomach to keep it in place, hoping against hope that it would stem the flow. 

"Well that's all we can do for now" she stated when they were finished, and she had finally placed a wet cloth on her Captain's forehead, hoping to cool his raging fever.

"Aye it is. I wonder what become of that man on deck?" Gibbs asked, vocalising the question that had been burning in his mind.

"Well that be something to ask the Captain when he wakes up" she replied, her eyes never leaving her Captain's face. With that both pirates settled into silence, and made themselves comfortable to just watch their friend sleep. 

////

"Thank heavens we are here. That journey seemed to last an eternity" Elizabeth commented as the young couple finally moored their 'borrowed' ship at Tortuga. The sun was just rising in the sky in what promised to be a beautiful day, but exhaustion clearly showed on the faces of the two youngsters as the harsh light caught them.

"I know sweetheart, but we are finally here. We just need to check that Jack is okay, and then we can rest ourselves" Will reassured her. Once he had tied the boat up to ensure it didn't drift off, he looked around surveying his surroundings. He grinned when he caught sight of the one thing he had been looking for. "It's okay Elizabeth that is where Jack will be" he told her gesturing in front of them, and she turned around, and immediately grinned when she saw what he was looking at. With one final check of their own craft the two set off towards the Pearl, their hopes effectively renewed.

/////

"Come on Jack, wake up for me huh? I ain't calling ya Captain unless ya wake up" Anamaria spoke desperately to her friend; he had shown no signs of life since he had passed out the previous night. Gibbs had just that second left her to see if he could find a doctor anywhere in the port, and for the first time she felt free to talk openly to her Captain. "Jack ya can't die on me! Not now, everyone else is gone I can't lose you too. The Pearl can't lose you Jack" she begged him, desperation clear in her tone. All she wanted was for him to open his eyes, just once and she would be reassured, but not a flicker came from the too still form on the bed. "Jack that day, I was sure that we'd lost you. There was so much blood and that look in your eyes. I'm telling ya the amount of death that happened that day, Christ it'll stay with me forever, but that look on your face. Jack I have never seen someone look so broken, so lost it is that look that haunts me. I loved Marty same as you all did, and Cotton, but Jack you mean everything to me, if you die you may as well sink the Pearl with me still on it, cos neither of us are anything without you" Anamaria spoke quietly, her voice cracking with emotions as she uncharacteristically spilled her heart out to the unconscious form. She nearly leapt a foot in the air in fright, when a weak voice responded to her.

"I love you too Ana" Jack whispered, and her heart lifted, and the first genuine smile for days lightened her face, as she tenderly leant forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips. 

////

Will and Elizabeth walked across the dock to the Pearl as fast as their legs would carry them, their minds focussed fully on getting to their friend, it was because of this that they dashed straight on board the Pearl, and didn't stop moving until they were pulled dramatically to a stop by a shiny glint of silver as a blade was pressed against the blacksmith's throat.

End Chapter Eight

That's it for now kids! Oh come on! You know I like me cliff hangers!!! Please review!!!!!!!


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Thank you all for your reviews, I am glad that you seemed to enjoy the last chapter! Please continue to let me know what you think.

Chapter Nine

"Young Turner, you should know better than to sneak around a pirate ship in the dark" Gibbs reprimanded the younger man, lowering his sword as he spoke. "S'pose ye be looking for the Captain?" he asked, and Will hesitated before answering, in an attempt to let his heart regain its usual rhythm, after being frightened half to death by having a cutlass aimed towards his throat. 

"Yes, Jack left Port Royale rather abruptly, and we were assuming that this was where he would head" Will replied, and Gibbs nodded.

"Aye that sounds about right. He's here, Ana is with him now. Was it young lassie here that stitched him up first time?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Will nodded in response. "Aye you best head this way, we could be using your skills again" he told her gesturing towards the Captain's cabin, both young people following closely behind. 

/////

"How long have I been out?" Jack asked his friend quietly. Ana gently stroked his sweat soaked hair away from his too pale face.

"All night, had me worried I can tell you" she responded truthfully. "What on earth are you doing here so soon anyway? You was meant to be healing?" she asked, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. 

"That's exactly what we'd like to know" a new voice entered the conversation, as a clearly angry Elizabeth Swan entered the cabin, and stood beside the bed with arms folded across her chest looking down at the feverish pirate.

"Liz? What the hell are you doing here? You and Will are supposed to be safe and sound in Port Royal" Jack asked, his tone slurred as his injuries caught up with him, and his voice held a strong element of confusion to it. Elizabeth ran an appraising glance over her friend, not liking the glazed look in his eyes, the unnatural pallor of his skin, or the once more gaping wound on his torso. 

"And we would be if you hadn't ran away for reasons unknown. We came to find you, we had to know that you are okay, and I see that our concern wasn't misplaced at all" she told him. He rolled his eyes in response to her words, but couldn't gather the energy to respond further. Anamaria chuckled; pleased that they had some help at last, although not quite so happy with losing the precious time alone with her friend. 

"Elizabeth here stitched Jack up the first time before he decided to go off on his own and tear out her handiwork. She can redo her job" Gibbs told Ana, and Elizabeth stepped forward, pulling out her meagre supplies as she did so. Jack eyed her wearily, but his face lightened slightly when Gibbs offered him a bottle of rum to dull the undoubted pain. Gibbs helped the slighter man to sit up slightly, and Ana held the bottle up for him, both were concerned when the Captain only managed a few sips before being too exhausted to mange to swallow any more. The two pirates carefully laid him back, and Ana once more placed a wet cloth on his burning forehead, and continued to stroke his hair and cheek whilst Elizabeth set about her task. 

"I'm sorry Jack, this is more than likely going to hurt a lot" Elizabeth warned the Captain, and wasn't surprised when she got no response. Jack had closed his eyes tightly, to block out her ministrations as effectively as he could, yet he couldn't suppress the hiss that escaped him at her first touch. For the small group in the room it seemed to take an eternity for Elizabeth to stitch the wound, none more so than for the patient himself. A mass sigh of relief was audible when the last thread was stitched, and Jack's wound was closed. Elizabeth carefully redressed it. Jack flopped back against his pillows, utterly exhausted.

"Thank Lizzie" he muttered as his eyes drifted shut. The other four occupants breathed a collective sigh of relief, hopefully now jack could truly begin the healing process of body and mind.

End Chapter Nine

Okay not the most action packed chapter, but a valid link to the next! Please review.


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Wow thanks guys for all your reviews! I am so pleased at the response of this story!! Please keep em coming!!!

Chapter Ten

"How do you think he's doing?" Gibbs asked the young woman quietly when his Captain had drifted away from them once more. Elizabeth sighed, her eyes never leaving the still form beside her.

"I don't know it's hard to tell. He is burning up, we need to get that fever down otherwise he may be beyond our help. Why didn't either of you stitch his wound?" she asked, trying to make her tone questioning rather than accusatory.

"Well I may be a dab hand at the rigging and the sails, but me stitching ain't up to scratch, and Ana's ain't much better" Gibbs replied, Elizabeth rose an eyebrow at his response.

"So you'd rather he bleed to death than for him to have unsightly stitches?" she asked incredulously.

"No Miss Elizabeth, but in order to stitch him up we need some thread and needles" he continued, not liking the tone of her voice. 

"You mean you don't have those things aboard? I thought all ships were well stocked" Will asked, trying to lower the heat in the room, by preventing his girlfriend from responding in what would undoubtedly be in harsher tones. Anamaria sighed in exasperation, before entering the conversation.

"Of course we have those things on board, what sort of Captain do you take Jack for?" she asked, not bothering to keep her tone friendly. She was tired and cranky, and she was not willing to justify themselves to these two land rats. "But in case it's escaped your attention, the Pearl is damaged, riding low in the water. He didn't cut 'imself shaving ya know. Jack got those wounds in battle, a battle that cost the lives of a lot of good men, and a lot of damage to his bleeding ship. There are only the three of us left, and we weren't sure we would even make it, so Captain Sparrow ordered us to shed some weight, it will a choice between the medical supplies, and jack's cache of rum, care to hazard a guess at which he chose?" she asked them rhetorically. Elizabeth blushed, regretting the words that had escaped her in the heat of the moment.

"I'm sorry Ana, Mr Gibbs. I spoke out of line. You are quite right I should have established the facts before offering my opinion. I should have known that if you had in any way been able to you would have helped Jack however you could. My only excuse is that my concern for my friend clouded my judgement and allowed my tongue to run away with me" she told them.

"Just like it is now" Ana snorted, mocking the young woman and her prim manners. "It's all right Lizzie, you ain't offended us" she told her, adopting Jack's favourite nickname for his friend. Elizabeth smiled weakly, relieved that the tension seemed to have been decreased. "You two look just about worn out, why don't I show you somewhere where you can rest for the night" Ana asked the youngsters softly, and they turned to look at her with gratitude clear in their eyes. 

"What about Jack?" Will asked, torn between desperately wanting to have a long rest laid in the arms of his fiancée, and the other half of him not wishing to let Jack out of his sight for a second. Ana grinned lightly, correctly reading his thoughts. 

"It's okay either Mr Gibbs or me will be with him all night, if anything happens we'll come and get ya straight away" she assured them, and suitably reassured the two followed her out of the room casting one last look over their shoulders at their friend.

/////

Gibbs sat alone with his Captain for the first time all night. He was exhausted, it had felt like the longest week of his life, and it still wasn't over. Jack, even though he was now safe and in the best possible care, was still desperately ill. His fever was cooking him from the inside out, and in his already weakened condition it would be enough to kill him. 

"Jack lad, ya gotta fight this and pull through. The Pearl ain't nothing without Captain Jack at her helm. I know that a lot has happened in the last little while that may make ya think it ain't worth the effort, but ya got a few good friends here that desperately want ya to pull through this. Plus mate I reckon you may be lucky, Ana seems to have softened towards ya, break her heart it would if you gave up without a fight, and that is one woman that ya don't wanna piss off" Gibbs told his friend in hushed tones, not stupid enough to allow Ana to actually hear his words. 

.////

End Chapter Ten.

Again sorry for the length and lack of action, but I am doing me best L.   Please review!!!!


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Hey thank you all for your wonderful reviews, I hope that you will keep em coming!

Chapter Eleven

Gibbs sat back and watched his good friend thrashing around on the sweat soaked bed. Jack was clearly well and truly in the midst of fever dreams, and Gibbs was forced to sit back and watch the younger man suffer. He had tried as much as possible to cool his friend down, but he had done all he could, the rest was up to Jack.

////

_The menacing man stood with a please grin across his smug face, he had one hand wrapped around the throat of his hostage, the other holding a blade to the young man's throat. At his feet lay a grievously wounded woman, her blood draining from her corpse like body, as her hearts struggled to pump the fluid quicker. Stood slightly away was Captain Jack Sparrow, his eyes filled with the horror before him. He was frozen in place as he saw the people he loved threatened right in front of his eyes. He looked around him, desperate for some help, but no-one was left. The only people he had ever truly cared about had been murdered._

_"Please let the whelp go, he ain't done nothing" Jack spoke, his voice audibly trembling. The man laughed a braking sound in the silence of the night, yet Jack's ears were still filled with screams, that rang out of death. _

_"Oh Jacky boy, ya don't get it do ya? They might not have done anything, but boy they looked after you. That sure as hell is enough to bring me satisfaction in their deaths" he replied, and the calmness of his voice sent shivers down Jack's spine. Jack gasped as he saw the truth in the man's words, and didn't quite manage to look away in time to avoid seeing a sight that would stay with him for the rest of his days. The sight of William turner having his throat cut, so deep jack could see the bone, and was sprayed by the blood as the young blacksmith sunk dead to the deck on the Pearl._

_/////_

Anamaria dropped the mug she was drinking from when she heard the gut wrenching sound of a soul deep scream coming from her immediate vicinity. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her until she got to her Captain's cabin. She pushed the door open without a moment's hesitation, and felt her heart shatter at the sight of her Captain. He was sat up in his bed, sheets a tangled mess on the floor. His face was pale and covered in sweat, but it was his eyes that told the most story. They were glassy showing plainly that he was lost deep in the midst of fever, yet they were also so full of pain and sorrow that it took he breath away. She rushed forward to him, but stopped a pace away.

"Jack?" she questioned softly, yet he obviously wasn't quite awake as he didn't seem to even recognise she was there. She hesitated no longer as she moved to sit beside him, and envelope him in her strong arms, she pulled him gently towards her, and was shocked when he whimpered at the motion, she carefully placed her legs up on the bed, and pulled him so that he too laid down, with his head rested against her chest. "Shh Jack, its okay it's just a dream" she soothed him softly, stroking his sweat soaked hair away from his far too hot brow. She leant across and plucked the damp cloth from the cabinet beside the bed, satisfied that it was still cool, she tenderly ran it across her Captain's face, and finally left it to rest on his forehead. "It's okay sweetheart, it was only a dream. I've got you, you're safe" she whispered too him, hugging him close as much to comfort herself as him. She hoped her words were true and the night terrors were only dreams and not memories, because then there would be no consolation in the falsehood of those thoughts. Her thoughts were interrupted by a hoarse croak.

"Ana?" Jack questioned, confused by his surroundings. Ana nearly laughed in relief, that he seemed to be somewhat aware. 

"Its okay captain you just had a bad dream, it's all okay you are safe. I've got ya nothing bad is gonna happen now" she told him trying to sooth him with her words. She was surprised when he vehemently shook his head in protest. 

"No, not a dream a premonition" he told her, his speech clearly slurred. "Gotta get Will and Liz to leave" he told her, and then slowly drifted back to sleep, his thoguths jumbled in the raging heat of his body. Ana shook her head in puzzlement, then settled back down, not willing to desert her post by Jack's side, after all it was where she belonged.

  
End Chapter Eleven

Please review!!!!


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Thank you all very much for your reviews on the last chapter, and sorry for the slight delay but I am in the process of moving house at the minute so everything is a bit of a mess! Anyway please review this chapter!

Chapter Twelve

Ana sat beside Jack, until she was exhausted herself, yet no amount of nagging from Elizabeth or Gibbs would get her to leave. Eventually a compromise was reluctantly reached, and so it was that Ana was curled up on Jack's bed beside her Captain, asleep with her head rested against his chest, and Elizabeth was now sat in the chair beside the bed. Jack had seemed to settle down slightly, although his skin still burned with fever, and he seemed continually lost I the midst of dreams. 

_"No! Let em go, take me instead, I don't care just don't harm me crew!" Jack yelled out to the large looming figure stood in front of him, the man laughed a humourless barking sound in response._

_"Now now Sparrow, whatever happened to the code. You being a pirate Captain I'd of thought you'd be following it to the letter. Whatever happened to doing what's right by you?" he asked with a sneer, that Jack would have loved to wipe cleanly off his face._

_"It is what's right by me. Look at it this way if you take me crew it ain't as though I stand much chance of fighting ye off on me onesies, and I have no doubt that regardless of you having me crew you'll still come after me. So if ya just take me now and leave me crew behind I know that they will hunt ye down and kill ya, even if just for the plunder, makes no odds to me" Jack told him, with his usual arrogant smile. Jack soon regretted his words as a change came over the threatening figure before him. He could see the exact moment that the other man made his decision. He just couldn't move quick enough to prevent the action. He tried to leap forward to grab the older man, but his reaction was a second too slow, he managed to tackle the man to the ground a second after the single shot was fired from the pistol, and the bullet ripped through the head of Jack's female friend, as the dark form sank down to the ground, the pirate Captain heard his own scream reverberate through his skull. _

_/////_

Jack shot up in bed his glassy eyes surveying the room, his breath coming in short ragged gasps, as his mind tried desperately to ascertain where he was. He was confused by the form spread out beside him, and the second figure lightly snoring on the chair next to his bed, but his mind felt so foggy and confused that it was difficult to work out what was going on. He shook his head, but his thoughts refused to clear, he sighed to himself. His stomach was burning, but he couldn't remember why, all he knew was that his friends were in danger, and he had to get away from them, if he didn't they would all be hurt or killed one by one. He pushed the piles of covers off of him, and struggled to his feet, the room swimming before his eyes. He stumbled, once but managed to catch himself before he hit the floor. He still couldn't quite make out who the other occupants were in the room, but it didn't really matter, he just knew he had to get away; Captain Jack Sparrow would not be behind the deaths of any more of his friends. Slowly he made his way across the cabin, and silently out of the door, resisting the urge to look back; for fear that if he did he wouldn't be able to leave. 

////

Elizabeth awoke slowly, and groaned as she realised that she had drifted off. She stretched and felt her bones click in response to spending a long time in one position in the old uncomfortable chair. She blinked to focus her eyes, and gasped when she noticed a key person was missing from the scene before her. 

"Oh my God!" she cursed, unusually for her. She leaped to her feet, and shook the sleeping female pirate until she reluctantly woke up.

"What?" Ana demanded tiredly.

"Jack's gone" Elizabeth told her, Ana, now suddenly a wake, sprang to her feet.

"What do you mean gone? You were supposed to be watching him, how could he just get up and walk away without you seeing him?" Ana asked incredulously. Elizabeth looked down at the floor.

"I fell asleep" she whispered, more disappointed in herself than the other woman could ever be. Ana sighed, seeing that no words from her, could possibly make the younger woman feel any worse. 

"Come on lets go and look, he may not even have made it off the ship" she prompted the other woman, although even as she said the words she doubted them.

End Chapter Twelve

Please review!!!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Thank you one and all for your reviews, please please please please please please please keep them coming, please?

Chapter Thirteen

Jack was exhausted; he didn't even possess the energy to curse his body's weakness. He was so very weary, he hadn't even managed to get very far away from his Pearl. In a lot of ways he hadn't wanted to leave his ship at all, but his fear for his friends had won out. His first thought had been to commandeer another ship, yet he didn't think he would be able to get very far before passing out and obviously that would do him no good, so he decided to seek solace in the only way he knew how- rum and women, yet even that seemed beyond his reach at the moment. He staggered, and gratefully leant against the first wall he came across, he hadn't felt this drained for a very long time, the last few weeks had been so dreadful, and now he was back where he had started all those years ago- alone.

Ana sighed in frustration, the two women had searched the Pearl from top to bottom, with no sign of their missing Captain.

"Well that's it I think we need to go for reinforcements" Ana commented, knowing that if they were to stand any chance of finding the pirate they would need a larger search party. Elizabeth reluctantly nodded in agreement, and the two disheartened souls went to wake up the men. The two were instantly alert when the only females ever allowed on the ship had told their story.

"Why on earth would he run again?" Will asked, surprised by his friend's behaviour, sure he understood that Jack was hurting more than he could ever imagine, but it was daft that he still didn't realise that his friends would chase him to the ends of the Earth if they had to, so what was the point in trying to get away?

"I dunno, but I sure as hell am gonna ask him when we catch up with him, now come on" Ana told them, and her tone made it very clear that she meant what she said. She spun on her heel and practically marched out of the room, leaving them little choice, other than to follow.

The small group disembarked from the Pearl and headed off into the main stretch of the town. Nobody uttered a word, each lost in their own thoughts, and planning a number of different ways of showing Jack exactly what they thought of his latest disappearing act. When they arrived along the main street where the majority of taverns were located, they split up into pairs and headed off to find their wayward Captain.

_Jack Sparrow sat slumped in a heap on the ground, having finally conceding defeat in his battle against exhaustion. He closed his eyes, trying to gather the energy to finally move, yet it wasn't as easy as it sounded. All he wanted was a warm bed where he could sleep, and perhaps a dash of rum, yes that would be heaven at the moment. Jack was brought out of his reverie by two sets of footsteps approaching, he attempted to drag himself to his feet, and managed a half sitting, half standing position, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword in anticipation. He tried to control his erratic breathing, for fear that the harsh gasped would draw unnecessary attention to him. He squinted ahead, making out two figures quickly approaching, but unable to see any detail as to who it may be. He pulled his cutlass from its sheath, and held it stretched out; he was far too tired for a prolonged battle, so he would go for a quick attack instead. He just caught sight of who it was approaching before he lunged, only just managing to stop himself before imbedding his blade in Elizabeth Swan._

_"Oh Jack, thank heavens! What on Earth are you playing at disappearing on us like that?" she asked him, seemingly oblivious to her near fatal injury that Jack had narrowly avoided delivering. He took a moment to get his breath, imagine if he had killed her after going to such lengths to protect them? _

_"Just went for a walk is all" he replied, clearly lying. Will stepped forward and took a good look at his friend; Jack looked truly awful, his face was sickly pale, and covered in a film of sweat despite the cold nip to the air._

_"Come on Jack, why don't you come back to the __Pearl__ with us?" Will prompted his friend, moving to grasp the older man's arm, Jack shrugged him off._

_"No thank you William, I will go back to my ship when I am good and ready. Right now I am going to get me some rum, so good night to ye" Jack responded, attempting to spin away, but the fever induced dizziness won out, and he only avoided crashing to the floor due to the young blacksmith's strong grip on his arm. Jack raised a hand to his burning head, it was throbbing, he sighed deeply._

_"How about we get you back to your cabin, and track down a bottle of rum for you?" Elizabeth asked the pirate Captain, keen to get him into a warm bed where they could keep a close watch over him, as it looked to her as though his fever was getting even worse. Yet Jack was paying no attention to her, his eyes were fixed on an approaching figure coming up from behind her, and soon Will and Elizabeth shared his observation, as a harsh cackle filed the night air. _

_"Why hello little Sparrow, so nice of you to bring your friends" the voice spoke directly to the pirate Captain, although his features were hidden by the shadows. Jack gasped as the voice sent shivers down his spine, yet he was given no time to react as a blade was dragged across Elizabeth beautiful pale flesh, and blood shot out of the deep wound across her throat. Jack heard the blacksmith's scream fill the air, and then he too was on the ground._

__

"What was that?" Ana asked the older pirate stood beside her, as a gut wrenching scream filled the air for a split second before the World was simply filled with joyous songs once more. Gibbs shrugged; he too had heard the sound, but it was too brief to ascertain exactly what it was or if it was even human.

"Let's just hurry and find Jack I have got a bad feeling about this" Gibbs responded, ushering the dark woman along.

Jack gasped trying to control his racing heart, he was getting pretty sick of the dreams he kept having, and they always seemed so real. The whole of Tortuga must have heard his scream this time, he groaned, he had to get control of this else his reputation would be totally shot. He chuckled at how ludicrous a thought that was, his recent behaviour was probably in perfect keeping with the reputation he had built up over the last fifteen years. He sighed, he was slumped against a wall in an alleyway, his legs too exhausted to carry him, his body raging with fever, and he didn't even have his overcoat on, on this cold night. He was dragged out of his thoughts by the sound of approaching footsteps, and after tiredly dragging himself to his feet, and managed a half standing position before drawing his sword from the sheath at his waist. He was so tired he doubted very much if he would even be able to fight, yet Captain Jack wouldn't give up if that was even needed. He raised his blade and thrusted forward, only just managing to veer off to the side when he caught sight of Elizabeth Swan standing in front of him, exactly where the blade had been aimed precious seconds before.

"Oh Jack thank heavens! What on earth were you playing at just disappearing like that?" she asked him, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he had just come extremely close to terminating her life.

"Just went for a walk is all" Jack replied, then tilted his head to one side, he was getting an incredible sense of déjà vu, yet couldn't quite place why this conversation seemed so familiar. Will stepped forward and took a long hard look at his friend, he was sickly pale and had a thin film of sweat over his face despite the chill of the night.

"Come on Jack why don't you come back to the Pearl with us?" Will asked, stepping closer to grasp his friend's arm at the same time. Jack shrugged him off.

"No thank you William, I will go back to my ship when I am good and ready. Right now I am getting me some rum" Jack replied, and attempted to spin away, yet dizziness overtook him, and only Will's strong grip prevented him from crashing to the floor.

"How about we get you back to your cabin, and track down a bottle of rum for you?" Elizabeth asked the pirate Captain, keen to get him into a warm bed where they could keep a close watch over him, as it looked to her as though his fever was getting even worse. Jack gasped as he heard another set of footsteps coming up from behind his friends, and the images that assailed his mind sent him reeling back against the wall, overcome with the pictures from his dream.

"Holy shit! They are premonitions after all?" he muttered.

"What?" Will asked, not understanding his friend's words, yet any further conversation was interrupted by a harsh cackle coming from the approaching figure.

End Chapter Thirteen

Okay fine! Make me beg! See if I care!! PPPPPPPPPPPPlllllllllleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaassssssssseeeeeeeee review?????


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Okay do you think I have left you hanging long enough?? Well if not then come back and read this later! But for those of you that think they have waited enough here is the next chapter! Thank you for all of your reviews, please keep them coming!

Chapter Fourteen

The three friends each looked in the direction that the sound had come from, Jack's stomach filled with dread, and he fought to breath past the bile rising in his throat. Suddenly a wave of determination came over him, and without hesitation he had unsheathed his sword, flipped it over so that the blade was in his hand with the hilt facing outwards, drew his arm back and launched it spinning through the air. It was like the World had turned to slow motion as the sword sailed through the air showing how he had perfected the trick that his good friend had shown him the very first day they had met. Will and Elizabeth watched the sharp metal fly through the air and hit its target perfectly as signalled by a grunt and a sound of something hitting the floor. Will turned a shocked glance to his friend.

"Jack? That could be anybody, what are you doing?" he asked his tone harsh as the shock from his friend's action was clearly portrayed in his words. Jack closed his eyes, his adrenaline now deserting him, and returning him to his previous exhaustion. He sagged back against the wall, and raised his hand to his face. Elizabeth watched him in concern, this was most unlike the Jack that she knew and loved. He would never just kill like that, unless he knew something that they didn't.

"Jack who is that man?" she asked him softly, Will looked up at her in confusion.

"Elizabeth? What are you doing? How could Jack possibly know? The poor bastard didn't even get close enough for us for us to see him, so how would he know?" Will asked, the heat of the moment making his words seem harsher than intended. Elizabeth shot his a sharp look, she could tell that something was going on here that neither she nor the blacksmith were aware of, and she was getting tired of Will making assumptions about Jack's actions, he should know by now to read between the lines where the pirate was concerned. Elizabeth turned her gaze back to the wounded Captain.

"So Jack who is he?" she asked softly, gently caressing his face, hoping to sooth him from whatever nightmare his semi awake mind had him lost in. He slowly raised his gaze to lock onto hers, and she almost gazed at the deep sorrow in their depths. "Jack what is it?" she asked, the urgency in her tone getting through to him.

"That's one of em that murdered me crew" he told her so quietly that she had to strain to hear him, but when his words sunk in she understood, and she had to admit she would have done the same thing. It left many questions, such as how the hell had he known who was coming?

Gibbs and Ana strolled through the darkened streets, they were feeling the shill of the night, yet it did not slow them down. The town had been silent, except for the usual sounds of gaiety and laughter, and no further screams had followed. The two pirates were concerned to say the least, yet neither verbalised their fears for concern of making them true and valid. The two continued on at heightened pace, it was due to them walking in silence, that they both managed to pick up the slight sound of something hitting the ground heavily, and exchanging a silent glance, the two set off at a sprint in the direction of the sound. Ana came across the source first and nearly landed on top on the body that lay splayed on the ground. She gasped her heart leaping into her throat, as in the dark of the street she couldn't make out the features. Gibbs finally arrived beside her, puffing and panting from the exertion of the dash through Tortuga.

"Who is it?" he asked her quietly, and she merely looked at him and shrugged. He sighed dramatically, then bent forward and flipped the clearly dead man over so that they could make out his features more clearly. Ana breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it clearly wasn't her Captain, yet the expression on her face soon changed into a frown when she caught sight of the man that did lie before her.

"Oh dear god" she muttered, and Gibbs looked at the body to see what had caused her reaction, he gaped when he too recognised the man.

"Bastard!" he hissed, then he leant forward and pulled the sword out of the dead man, he glanced at it and then shocked his friend by chuckling lightly to himself.

"What?" Ana asked, clearly confused.

"This look familiar?" he asked her holding the sword up for her to see. She smiled when she recognised the distinctive hilt.

"Jack got him!" she responded laughing lightly in relief. "I almost wish he had allowed me the pleasure. It looks like he died instantly, he deserved far more pain that that for what he and his buddies did" she continued her mood sobering, remembering the lost crewmates that had died on this man's orders. Gibbs nodded, then squeezed her shoulder lightly.

"Come on jack can't be far away" he urged her on and the two walked forward, not sparing a backward glance to the man that laid bleeding on the wet pavement.

End Chapter Fourteen

Please review!!!!


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Many thanks for all of your reviews!! Please keep them coming!!! I am very sorry to keep you waiting for longer than usual, but life keeps running away with me. I have however managed to post the first chapters of my '21 Jump Street' stories, so don't forget to check them out for more Johnny drool!

Chapter Fifteen

 Ana and Gibbs didn't have to move very far, they had only walked down the one road when they came across Jack sat down on the cold floor, seemingly lost in his thoughts, his face pale and surprisingly streaked with tears. Elizabeth knelt down in front of him, softly whispering to him and tenderly stroking his face, the young blacksmith stood off to one side, observing the scene, but leaving his girlfriend to sooth the distraught pirate Captain.

"Jack, we got ya sword" Gibbs told the group by way of greeting, Jack looked up surprised. "Good shot that Captain, got that bastard right through the heart" Gibbs continued. Will turned to him his eyebrow cocked in question.

"You mean to say that you know that person?" the younger man asked. Gibbs turned to him in surprise.

"Didn't Jack tell you? That's one of the men that attacked the Pearl" Ana jumped in to answer the blacksmith's question. Will and Elizabeth gasped simultaneously, and Jack seemed to grow even paler in the soft moonlight.

"Does someone want to explain what we're missing here?" Gibbs asked, sure that something had occurred that he and Ana weren't privy to.

"Aye we will, but I think we should go back to the Pearl first" Jack spoke for the first time, and struggled to his feet. Will stepped forward to help him to keep his balance, but the proud pirate Captain shrugged him off stubbornly refusing to accept the offered help. Together the group of five walked slowly back to the ship, their pace slowed by the Captain's weakened state, nobody spoke a word, everyone lost in their own thoughts as to exactly what had happened that night. The tense silence of unnerving each of them, and they breathed a collective sigh of relief when they finally made it back to the Pearl, and headed straight to the Captain's cabin, Jack himself going directly to the bottle of rum on the side and downed the contents straight from he bottle, his hands noticeably shaking as he did so. When he had finished he turned back around, and the other four occupants were staring worriedly at him, waiting for his explanation. He sighed then walked across the room to sit down on the edge of his bed.

"Well?" Will prompted, Jack looked up with a flash of unrecognisable emotion running through his chocolate brown eyes.

"Well what whelp? What do you want to know?" he asked, playing dumb, hoping to provide as few answers as possible, mainly because he was struggling to find answers in his own mind, let alone verbalise them.

"What the hell is going on would be a good place to start! If you can't manage that then how about explaining how you knew who was coming, when here was no way on Earth that you could have seen him?" Will asked, his confusion making his tone heated in his rush to obtain answers from the tight lipped pirate. Jack sighed and took a gulp of rum from a second bottle from his cabinet.

"I had seen it in me dream" he told them, and when no one spoke he sighed once more then continued. "Just before you arrived I was having a dream, it was just like it happened, except in me dream I didn't react and he came close to us, and he killed the two of you" he told them, visibly shuddering just at the memory. Will's gaze softened, and he immediately felt guilty for doubting his friend, he should have known that Jack would have good reason for his actions, he always did, it just usually took a while for them to become clear.

"What happened next in your dream?" Elizabeth asked quietly. Jack shrugged in response.

"I dunno that's when I woke up" he replied, and once more took a deep drink from the bottle clutched in his hand. His four friends exchanged worried glances, sure Jack usually liked a good drink of rum, but he had practically downed two bottles in ten minutes, and that wasn't good for anybody. It was no surprise that the Captain would take solace from his thoughts wherever he could find it, but it wasn't a good idea to drink himself to oblivion just to run from his demons, and it was slippery slope to get onto. Will turned to his friend, and was just about to prompt the older man into providing further explanation, when he noticed that Jack had slumped to one side and was lost to the world in an alcohol induced slumber.

"There is most definitely something that he isn't telling us, and even if I have to kill him myself I will get it out of him" Will vowed to the group, and somehow the other three occupants could tell by the conviction in his voice that he meant it.

End Chapter Fifteen

Okay not very long or eventful, but I promise more this week, so please review, and I will get it to you quicker!!!


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Thank you all for all of the wonderful reviews that you have been leaving for this story, please keep them coming!!

Chapter Sixteen

Will sat and waited all night for the injured pirate Captain to finally wake up. Whilst Jack slept the young blacksmith set about locking the door and blocking every exit, this time Jack was not going o get away until he told him exactly what was going on, and what had happened. Finally the pirate began to stir and Will, moved closer. Jack blinked his eyes, in an attempt to clear his foggy vision, and unsteadily he got to his feet, he abruptly found himself planted firmly back by a hand pushing against his chest. He blinked once more, and when his vision finally cleared he found his blacksmith friend starring back at him.

"Jack?" he greeted uncertainly.

"Aye, last time I looked it was" the pirate responded, although the weakness of his voice betrayed the forced nonchalant tone. Will grinned, pleased at his friend's effort.

"I think we need to talk" Will continued, and Jack sighed dramatically.

"And what do we have to talk about whelp?" Jack asked deliberately trying to avoid the conversation that he had known was long overdue.

"Come on Jack. Please. Something is eating you up inside, now I know that the whole crew dying in front of you like that must've been awful, but I am sure you have seen it before, now what's going on?" Will asked, and cursed himself for how harsh his words sounded even to his own ears. Jack laughed a harsh barking sound.

"My that was some encouraging speech" he responded sarcastically. He sighed and allowed himself to get more comfortable on his small bed. He closed his eyes and before Will knew it the Captain was speaking once more in a quiet and emotional voice. "You're right when you say that I have seen me crew killed before, but the thing is they weren't just me crew they were my family. For the first time in fifteen years I felt like I could truly trust the people around me. I knew that I could trust them with my ship, and with my life. I knew that if I ordered em to do something they would do it without question, loyalty like that is rare amongst pirates. Ya know the expression no honour amongst thieves? Well my family were the exception. I could have accepted it if they had died for a reason, but it was meaningless, it wasn't just a killing it was a massacre" Jack told his young friend, and then the room fell into silence as the Captain became lost in his own thoughts.

"Do you think that they are okay in there?" Elizabeth asked the female pirate stood beside her.

"I sure hope so, look I haven't heard any screams, or the sounds of stuff being thrown around so assume everything's okay. Someone needs to get that stubborn pirate to open up, and it sure as hell don't seem like it's gonna be me or Gibbs so why not Will?" Anamaria replied reasonably. Elizabeth sighed to herself, she was terribly worried about their friend, she didn't lie to see him hurting so badly, yet pushing everybody away. Elizabeth Swann was no fool, she knew exactly what Jack was doing, and why, but she also knew that there was no way she was going to let him get away with it.

"It's my fault. I mean I have made questionable decisions before, but none that got so many killed. If only I had recognised the ship!" Jack spoke more to himself than to the young blacksmith stood besides him. Will's attention was caught by the pirate's words.

"Jack, all of your crew knew that being a pirate was dangerous but they signed up anyway. They stayed with you because they respected you, they loved you Jack. If you made the wrong choice then it was simply a mistake, they would have understood that" Will tried to reason with the older man.

"You don't understand. It wasn't just a mistake, I wasn't concentrating. I wasn't thinking straight and I walked straight into the damn trap, and it costs them their lives! The whole crew wiped out just like that because of someone's quest for vengeance against me!" Jack retorted, his voice rose to a near yell.

"I don't understand. Are you saying that whoever did this knew you?" will asked, realisation beginning to dawn. Jack snorted in response.

"Oh course he bloody knew me!" he replied.

"Well? Who is he?" Will prompted when no further explanation was forthcoming.

""He's my cousin" the pirate responded, and Will could have sworn that he saw tears in his eyes.

End Chapter Sixteen

That's all for now guys, please review! I can't guarantee any updates until at least 22nd June, as I am off to Gran Canaria on my holidays over the weekend (Thank god!)


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Hey guys! Thank you all for your reviews for the last chapter! I am now back from my holiday (or for you 'Yankees' out there eg Jackfan2!, my vacation!), and hopefully will be free to get these stories finished up!! Anyway please keep your reviews coming!!!!

Chapter Seventeen

Will sat in shock at his friend's words, he had had no idea at all of what had been going on in his friend's mind, yet even after their exchange of words, he still didn't fully understand. The minute Jack had finished speaking; he had got to his feet and unsteadily made his way out of the cabin to the helm. Even though the ship wasn't at sail, Jack stood at the helm starring out to sea, his eyes firmly fixed on his horizon, no words escaping his lips and no one steeling his attention away from the ocean in front of him. His face was calm, yet his eyes displayed depths of emotion that many would swear they had never seen in Jack's eyes before. His hand had a death grip on the wheel of his ship, the only sign that the outward calm was simply a façade.

"Well what did he say?" Elizabeth asked an apparently shell-shocked Will. He relayed the tale to her as best as he could, and could tell that his audience were as confused as he was by what Jack had shared with them.

"Well what are we gonna do now?" Gibbs asked the group, unsure how to proceed to help their friend.

"I have no idea. How do you help someone that doesn't want to be helped?" Elizabeth asked, and nobody seemed to have an answer to that.

Jack stepped away from the helm of his beloved Pearl, when had everything become such a mess? Life had seemed to finally pick up and come back to how he wanted things to be, and then this had happened, a blast from the past had swept in and taken everything he had worked for. He shook his head a rueful grin on his face, yet his eyes did not light up with the smile, and his heart was not full of happiness. In fact he felt hollow and empty inside, everywhere he went he was leading his friends into danger, causing the death of the only family he had ever known, and now the few people he had left that he loved and trusted were too stupid to know what was good for them. They were too dumb and stubborn to step away and leave him to sort things out for himself.  He sighed to himself, he was at a loss over what to do, he knew that Tortuga wouldn't be safe for much longer, and he knew that he had to get his friends away from him, the question was how?

"He's gonna keep pushing us away further and further, until he has room to sneak away" Gibbs told them, and will turned an amazed glance on the older man, in the last few weeks Gibbs was continually amazing him with how well he knew his Captain, still Will guessed he shouldn't really have been surprised. Jack Sparrow was one of those people that got to you, you either hated him or loved him, but either way he got under your skin and was there to stay, and there was nothing that you could do about it.

"Yeah well he sure as hell isn't going to push me away!" Ana stated matter of factly, and the other three exchanged a glance, they had to admit that they wouldn't argue with her when she was that determined.

"Okay so how exactly are ye going to tell him that?" Gibbs asked her, his eyebrow quirked in question.

"That's the bit I still need to figure out" Ana replied, honestly having no idea on how to get through to her bone headed, stubborn fool of a Captain.

Jack sighed once more as he pushed himself away from the railing, failing to mask the groan that escaped him as his action pulled on his recent and as yet unhealed injury. He winced as the wound pained him even with such a slight movement, the hurt dizzying him and clouding his mind as it drained his energy. He turned around and leant with his back to the railing on his prized ship, then allowed his weight to slide down until he was sat on the deck his head rested against his knees, as he curled up on himself. That is the position that Anamaria found him in a short while later, and she felt her heart break into a million pieces at the sight of her Captain so lost and vulnerable as he sat alone in the dark, his mind obvious lost in dark memories of the past. She slowly walked over to him, and sat down beside him crossing her legs in front of her; she squeezed his shoulder and gently caressed his cheek.

"Jack how are you doing?" she asked him softly, and was surprised to see recent tear track son his cheeks when eh turned to look at her. She couldn't help the gasp that escaped her as he turned and lost himself into her embrace, and finally released the tears that he had been bottling up for far too long. She pulled him closer, and held him whilst he cried himself out, and finally feel into a deep exhausted sleep right there on the deck cradled in her arms. Only when she was sure he was asleep did she allow her own eyes to drift shut, and get some much needed rest herself.

End Chapter Seventeen

That's it for now, although the next chapter shouldn't be long in coming, dependant on reviews……….. (Hint hint!!!!!)


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Thank you all so much for your kind reviews of the last chapter, see it really does make me write quicker! Please keep them reviews coming, I don't like to beg, but I will if I have to so save my dignity by leaving a review!!

I have posted this as I didn't want my reviewer (who I must say posts really nice long reviews!) to die because of holding their breath for too long!

I did have a fantastic holiday thank you! I am just dreading going back to work tomorrow sob sob!!!

Chapter Eighteen

When Ana awoke the new day was dawning and it took her to a moment to discover what was amiss with her current situation, it was only when she had blinked a few times and looked around her that she noticed that she was in fact spread out across the deck, it took her a few minutes longer to recall exactly why she had slept like that, it was only then that she sat bolt upright and noticed that Jack was nowhere to be seen. Muttering to herself she got to her feet and headed off to hunt the insufferable pirate Captain down. She headed first to the helm, and then gradually searched the entire ship, yet he was nowhere to be found. In fact nobody was anywhere to be found, she looked around her in astonishment, where the hell was everybody?

Jack hummed to himself as he dangled down the side of his beloved ship, a nail in between his teeth and a hammer in his hand, carrying out the overdue repairs to his prized possession. The young blacksmith was balanced beside him, also brandishing a hammer. Will had been very pleasantly surprised when Jack had woken him up that morning and asked him in his usual manner if her would help him make some repairs to their recently battle weary ship, Will had agreed without hesitation. He had been so pleased to see the pirate finally doing something positive without being pushed into it. Gibbs and Elizabeth had been as shocked as he had himself when Jack had walked towards them carrying the supplies, and handed each of them a paint brush, and instructed them to paint over the scratched wood, he had even chuckled at Elizabeth's raised eyebrow, yet she herself was so pleased that Jack seemed to be getting back to some semblance of normal that she would have single handedly painted the entire ship if he had asked her too.

"Aye aye Captain" was all that she said instead. Will shook his head, trying to snap out of his thoughts, and instead concentrate on the task at hand.

"How long are you going to let Ana sleep in for?" Will asked his friend. Jack chuckled slightly at some private joke before replying.

"As long as she sleeps for, way I see it is the longer she sleeps the less time she has for starting on me!" he told his young blacksmith friend cheekily. Both men jumped when a voice came from above them.

"Jack Sparrow, I heard that!" Anamaria yelled down, Jack grinned in response.

"Its Captain Jack Sparrow love, why can you never remember the Captain" he yelled back up at her, and Will had to look away so that the female pirate wouldn't see his grin and start on him as well.

"What are you doing down there anyway?" she asked, deciding to leave his last comment well enough alone.

"And she calls herself a sailor" Jack muttered under his breath, with a roll of his eyes, so that only Will could hear his comment. The blacksmith snorted in response, and didn't miss the glare that Ana sent his way from her position above. "We're making some repairs love, need to start setting off within the next day or so, so way I see it repair the ship today then tomorrow set about finding us a new crew" Jack yelled up, and Ana was surprised, to her it seemed a bit strange that yesterday the man was falling apart in her arms, sobbing over his loss and seemingly a broken man, yet today he was making plans to sail off to unknown places as if nothing had happened. Ana was no fool, and she certainly wasn't going to fall for Jack's 'everything is fine, look at my smile' façade.

"Jack are you okay?" she called down to him, and her thoughts were confirmed when she saw a flash of something cross his face before he replied.

"I'm fine love" he told her, and then said no more, signalling the clear end to the conversation. She sighed to herself, she only wished she could have seen his eyes, his eyes were usually incapable of lying, and she knew him well enough to see through any attempt.

Will carefully observed his friend through the rest of the day, the two had been working hard since the crack of dawn, and Jack showed no sign of letting up. Will felt his muscles cramp again at the amount of work he had put his body through, yet Jack didn't seem to be feeling any discomfort at all, and he had suffered a serious injury only a short amount of time before. Most of the afternoon had passed in silence, with the pirate not showing any desire for conversation with the blacksmith. Elizabeth had made some sandwiches for them around midday, and whilst Will had stopped and scrambled back on deck to scoff his share, Jack had remained down the side of his ship working, and not even responded when Will had yelled down at him to go and get some food. Will shook his head, no matter what he was going to have to give in for the day his shoulder were screaming out in protest with every move that he made.

"Jack are you almost ready to call it a day?" he asked his friend, and grew concerned when he got no response. He swung across to the rope seat that Jack had constructed to sit on, and finally settled on the wood surface alongside the pirate. "Jack?" he questioned worriedly. He reached out and laid a hand on the older man's shoulder, it was only when he caught sight of the pirate's face that he realised that his concern was more than justified. Jack looked terrible, his eyes looked like the saddest thing that Will had ever seen, and tear tracks were clearly visible down his face. "Jack what is it?" he asked softly, desperate for the man to speak to him, to pour his heart out, to scream that life wasn't fair to do anything that it took to eradicate that look of pure desperation and deep sorrow that currently held residence in his face. Jack shook his head as if to clear it, and then in one graceful movement he swung his legs up and agilely clambered  up the rope and swung up onto his ship, walking straight past those that were waiting for him, and not stopping until he made it to his room. Will watched him go, his mouth dangling open in shock wondering what the hell had just happened.

End Chapter Eighteen

That's all folks, please review, I really don't want to have to beg, but as I said I will if needs must and all that!! 


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Thank you all for your reviews, much appreciated dear chaps! Anyway please keep them coming or I'll make the chapter end in a really nasty cliff-hanger and no update for a week, okay so just review puhlease!!

Chapter Nineteen

Jack laid down on his bed the minute he reached his cabin, he didn't spare the time to remove his boots, belt or clothing at all, he simply allowed his weary body to crumple onto his bed. He sighed; the last few weeks had been like a living hell to the pirate Captain, his world had dropped onto a bottomless pit spiralling down and there was no way of climbing out of it. Every time he managed to see over the edge, to feel the sunshine on his face, the gods conspired against him once more and sent a rain cloud to settle over him. He was unused to feeling so melancholy, Jack was generally a happy go lucky sort of person; of course things affected him the difference was jack didn't let it show that he was affected. He was trying very hard to do the same now, yet it was so difficult when he felt as though his world had shattered. No matter what happened from that day things would never be the same again, and he knew that he would never recapture the complete happiness that he had felt before. His Pearl had always meant his freedom, his way of going wherever he wanted to go, whenever he wanted to go and to do whatever he wanted to do, yet some how his freedom had cost his crew their lives. He chuckled mirthlessly, he wasn't egotistical enough to think that they were only serving on the Pearl because of him, yet a part of him knew in his heart that they were even if only out of habit a lot of them stayed on board a lot longer tan most pirates stayed on board any pirate ship, especially one run as uniquely as the Pearl. One by one his friend and family had died; maybe he was destined to spend his life completely alone, with no body to love. Nobody to hold him when he was down, nobody to laugh with him when he was full of joy, nobody to share nights of passion and love with. What good was freedom when you had no one to share it with?

"So he just up and left?" Elizabeth asked Will as he relayed his tale to her.

"Yes I don't understand. He still wants us to leave him to face whatever is happening alone, but I can't do that. The stupid fool is killing himself with his self destructive streak, and I can't bear to sit back and watch it happen" Will continued, he was really concerned for his friend, yet every time he spoke to the older man his words came out wrong, and clumsily spilled over each other sounding brash and uncaring when they were meant with love and concern.

"I hate to tell you this Will, but maybe you aren't the right one for the job of getting information out of him" Elizabeth told her fiancé with a soft smile to soften her words. He smiled sadly at her, yet couldn't disagree.

_"Maria I told you I love you, you're the only one that I have ever loved" Jack told the young woman by his side softly, his breath tickling her face due to his close proximity._

_"Jack you know that I am betrothed to Stephen" she replied, stepping away from the young man. Jack was so handsome, his boyish charms and sun kissed skin would melt the heart of any girl, yet for some reason he seemed to have turned his attention to her. If only it had been a few months sooner then maybe something could have happened, but she would not betray her husband to be, for she did not wish to burn in the pits of hell eternally damned for betraying him. Jack sighed deeply, and tenderly stroked a calloused finger across her pale English skin, his hand lingering a second longer than necessary on her cheek. _

_"You know I won't take rejection for ever, I am going to be Captain someday and then you'll regret choosing Stephen" he told her, his face taking on a childish pout, she snorted in laughter, and his eyes flashed with hurt as if she had truly been mocking him,_

_"Oh Jack I am sorry I am not doubting you for a second, you will make a fine captain one day soon, I don't doubt it for a second" she told him, and standing on tip toe she planted a soft kiss on his smooth cheek, and walked away out of his life for forever without a backward glance. _

__

Jack sat up in bed, yet for once his mind wasn't filled with sadness, he was actually pleased to remember the young girl that he hadn't seen for so long, yet when he cast his mind back to the chain of events that one discussion had unleashed he shuddered at the very thought.

_Flashback_

_"Jack, there's a letter here for ye" Bootstrap told his young friend as he walked along the deck of the Black __Pearl__. The two had been friend for the last few years, and together with the ship's Captain they ran a very efficient ship. Jack took the letter from his best friend's hand, and looked at it in confusion, the writing unfamiliar, he shrugged, flashed a quick grin at his friend and then headed to a quiet corner, if such a thing existed, to read his letter in peace. Tearing open the letter, still none the wiser as to who would be writing to him he skimmed over the words quickly and didn't know whether to grin or groan at the contents. _

_Dearest Jack,_

_I hear that you are fast on your way to Captaining your own ship, I always knew that you would make a fine sailor. The last time we met I feel that I may have spoken rather harshly towards you, and for that I apologise I never meant to insinuate that I would ever doubt your abilities, you are a fine man Jack you always have been its just that you didn't know it. I guess that you are wondering why I am writing to you, well I am letting you know that myself and Stephen have set a date for our wedding, we are to marry in one month from today's date and obviously we would love it if you could attend, and you may feel free to bring somebody with you._

_I do hope to see you soon Jack, and please don't let our friendship be ruined over this, it means far too much to me for that._

_With Love_

_Maria_

_Jack folded the letter back up and lid it carefully back into the envelope then placed it into his jacket pocket, his mind a whirl over what to do, he didn't even know if he would be able to get back in time to attend the wedding, still he supposed that he could ask his Captain, he almost chuckled at himself. Some pirate he was, requesting that he get some leave to attend the wedding of the girl he loved marrying someone else, and it wasn't even his intention to wreck it. _

_End Flashback_

Jack rubbed his hands over his tired face, this whole escapade was dredging up far too many painful memories, things that were best left buried in the past rather than forcing old scars to be hacked open and left to freely bleed in front of the few people that he had left that actually meant something to him. Well he'd be damned if he allowed them to see him vulnerable anymore than they had already. He was not going to keep looking weak to them, no from now on Jack was on one single mission, he was Captain Jack Sparrow, he felt no pain, suffered no loss and remained standing to fight another day.

End Chapter Nineteen

Okay that one was a bit longer, and raised some more questions!

Just who is Maria?

What does she have to do with Jack's current situation?

Is Jack really as invincible as he seems to think?

If you want to know the answers you need to press the little grey box at the bottom and submit a review!!!!


	20. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Thank you all for your kind reviews for the last chapter, much appreciated! Please keep them coming!!!

Chapter Twenty

Jack sighed, folding the letter back up and putting back into his desk drawer, he had always kept the letter ever since we had received it twelve years ago yet he hadn't brought it out and read it for a number of years. He sighed to himself, no he refused to dwell on the past, that chapter in his life had long since been closed and it should stay that way forever. No need to pick at a festering scab just to draw more blood and pain from a never fully healed surface. He sighed, no his friend needn't ever know about Maria, they really didn't need to know what had happened in the end.

_Flashback_

_Jack had gone to the wedding, arriving in the nick of time. His eyes had actually gone misty when he saw his beautiful love walk up the aisle. Her dress was classical, and she looked a true English rose, his heart had constricted painfully at the sight of her, yet at the same time leapt at the happiness that her smile painted a clear picture of. Now he sat a drink in hand, alone. He was surrounded by people he had known for most of his life, yet somehow he had nothing to say to any of them. He got to his feet and downed the remainder of his drink in one gulp and promptly left, it was at that moment that Jack Sparrow finally realised where his heart truly laid. His heart belonged to the one thing that offered him his freedom, his chance to be away from all the constraints of society, his life was on the Black pearl, and that was where he intended to spend it. Without a backward glance Jack walked out of the building never to see the majority of those people again._

_End Flashback_

Jack slumped down in his desk chair, his unbidden trip down memory lane dragging up memories that he would much sooner have left buried. That had been the last time he had ever seen Maria, in some ways he was glad that his last image of her was as a radiant bride even if she had been marrying someone else. Now she was gone, like so many other people from his life she was long since dead and buried joining his mother and father, and now most of his unrelated family such as Marty and Cotton. He stifled a sob as recent events once more leapt out at him. All of those deaths his fault, and still he continued to lead his friends and loved ones into danger time and time again. Maria had died because of him, it was his fault. He still remembered the day that he had found out.

_Flashback_

_Jack walked listlessly through the streets of Tortuga, he still couldn't believe that that bastard Barbossa had taken off with HIS ship! Of all the people to mutiny, well he hadn't seen that coming. He swayed from side to side as he walked, hunting out the nearest tavern, his three days on the Island had been hell, not knowing how long he would live before he either starved to death or died form the heat, the only thing he had known for sure was that we would not have used that one shot. If it wasn't used to finally on the cowardly mutineering former first mate of his to send him to hell then it would not be used at all, for Jack could be accused of many things but quitting sure as hell wasn't one of them. Even now almost half a year later and he still couldn't believe that the __Pearl__ had been snatched from him, the only thing that he had ever loved was gone, but it was going to be a temporary problem of that Jack was sure. Jack was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the arm reach out to grab him, that is until he found himself flat on his back on the dirty ground with a pistol pushed against his throat._

_"Great, could this day get any better?" he asked flashing a gold and white grin at his attacker. "What d'ya want mate?" he asked, and then recognition took over his as the hood moved back from the stranger's face. "Stephen?" he asked confused._

_"Hello Jack, pleased to see me?" he asked, not relinquishing his hold on the pirate._

_"Oh course Stephen, haven't see you for what, five years?" Jack responded, his face passive and his tone level._

_"Yes, must have been at the wedding?" Stephen responded. "Anyway enough chit chat dear Jack boy, it's business I'm here for" the older, larger man told his victim. Jack cocked an eyebrow._

_"And what business would that be?" he asked unsure quite where this was leading._

_"I think you know. The business is revenge dear boy" Stephen continued, then got to his feet dragging the slighter man up with him. He pinned the pirate against a wall, and Jack blinked as he saw stars dance before his eyes as his skull knocked against the hard bricks behind him._

_"Revenge for what me old mate?" Jack asked, for once genuinely confused. His confusion grew as the larger man's fist crashed into his jaw, nearly knocking him back down to the ground. _

_"Oh don't even make out that you don't know! I know what you did! You were so surprised when Maria chose me over you; you were so arrogant you couldn't believe that she hadn't chosen you could you? So you had to steal away the happiness from me! You had to send your little pirate ship in and kill her didn't you! You really had to do it huh Jack? You and your stupid little ship had to go in and sink her ferry you bastard! Why did you do it?" the distraught man yelled. Jack could do little more than stare back at him in confusion._

_"What? Maria's dead? When?" he asked, his mind whirling so fast that he could barely catch the other man's responses._

_"Don't play the innocent Jack, it don't suit ya! She died three months ago, at your hands, and you my boy are gonna pay for it" Stephen told the younger man, and emphasised his point with a hard punch to the pirate's stomach. Jack gasped in shock, Maria dead? He couldn't believe it. Barbossa, the bastard had killed her most likely to get at him. Jack relaxed and allowed himself to go lax, taking each blow aimed at him without defence or retaliation, after all he deserved it, Stephen was right it was his fault. It was his crew, hand picked by him who had firstly mutinied against him, and then taken his ship and his weapons and killed the one person he had ever given his heart to. He bit back on the sob, he didn't deserve the emotional release of crying, and he deserved exactly what he was getting._

_End Flashback_

Jack wiped the stray tear that had tricked down his face. He couldn't believe he had kept that memory at bay for so long; the next time he had woken up he had been alone battered and bruised in the dark alley, he didn't know what had made Stephen leave before he killed him, for at that moment it was a death that we would have embraced with open arms. At that time he was at a depth similar to the one he was at now, and death would in some ways be a blessed relief. He sighed once more and frantically wiped at his eyes, he a new crew to recruit, for he was pretty sure that his cousin wouldn't give up this time. He wouldn't leave him to walk away again, not like he had that day in the alley.

End Chapter Twenty

Well I hope that that has answered some questions for ye!

Please review!!!!!!


	21. Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty One

Thank you all for your reviews, please keep them coming, I am glad to see that some questions have now been answered for you, please keep the reviews coming though! Also don't forget to check out my 21 Jump Street fic that I updated yesterday, and look here later this week for My From Hell fic that I should update by mid week!

Chapter Twenty One

"Do you think that we should check on him?" Will asked the female pirate stood besides him. "He's been in there for ages, and I'm pretty sure I heard him moving around before" he continued, his concern was growing for the obviously troubled pirate Captain, and the other crew members were doing nothing to ease it.

"Na, leave him be. Jack sometimes needs time to himself, the crazy fool is probably in there right now trying to think of some way to slip past us" she told the young blacksmith with the ghost of a smile, yet it soon faded when she noticed her teasing words had done little to sooth him. "Look Will, Jack is a pirate and a damn good one. Sure he is quite unique in the World of piracy, but don't let him fool you into thinking he isn't tough. He is strong and he will get his revenge, he will kill the man that has done this and he won't hesitate whether family or not. The question is will you be behind him, or morally objecting?" she asked him, her tone softer yet more serious than he had ever heard it. He looked away from her strong gaze; he couldn't deny she had a valid point. Will had reacted extremely badly when he saw Jack kill a man, he had judged him immediately on his action and not even paused long enough to hear explanation for it, yet he hadn't even flinched when he had seen Jack murder Barbossa right before his eyes.

"I'll be where I always am. I'll be in my place, and my place is besides Jack" Will told her, and she could see the truth written as plain as day in his eyes. She nodded curtly then quickly moved off.

"Stupid, stupid fool" Jack muttered as he tapped his hand again and again against his already battered head. "Should've kept moving, they'd have never caught up then, could have got him on me onesies" he ranted, his frenetic pacing increasing. He cursed over and over in many different languages, why was he always so stupid? "Cos I'm Captain Jack Sparrow" he spoke out loud answering his own question with a sad smile. He sighed once more, every time he felt like he could move on and trust his friends to be making the right choice, a voice in his head spoke and reminded him of that fateful image of Marty being torn in two, the shocked look on his face as his insides spilt across the deck of the ship they all loved. Jack slumped to his knees, his hands resting on the floor in front of him. So much blood had been spilt and so many lives lost all because of a stupid misunderstanding. It was clear in his mind what had happened.

Stephen knew how Maria and Jack had felt about each other, and he also knew that Maria had chosen Stephen over his cousin. Then when word came a few years later that Maria's ship had been attacked by the crew of the Black Pearl and she had been killed, Stephen had naturally assumed that Jack had ordered the attack, possibly thinking that if he couldn't have her then nobody could. Yet in reality Jack had been left to die alone on that godforsaken spit of land three months before the day of the attack after his crew had mutinied, thus meaning that it had been Barbossa that had attacked the ship not he, yet he could perfectly understand Stephen's assumption for he himself would more than likely have drawn the same conclusion in the circumstance. It was funny how every thing bad that happened in Jack's life always seemed to go back to one person…… Barbossa.

He sighed once more, the problem was that he couldn't even blame his cousin, he had behaved in exactly the same way, revenge burned deep into a man, the belief that once you had sought out the one responsible for your pain and made them suffer then your pain would go away, yet Jack knew himself that wasn't so. He had got his revenge over Barbossa some time ago, yet the pain from the man's actions still raged inside of him, the hurt as he saw the ship sail away from him and leave him to die and fester alone still brought a wave of anger across him as he thought about it. Yet he knew that his cousin wouldn't understand that and he sure as hell wouldn't be willing to listen to the truth, and somehow Jack didn't really care anymore, for he had his own revenge to seek, Stephen, whether he had his reasons or not, had killed the only people that had remained consistent in Jack's life and tried to hurt the few that had remained and he already felt the familiar burning sensation in his chest. Of course he knew that taking Stephen and his men down wouldn't make the pain go away and it wouldn't bring back those that had been brutally killed, but it would mean his friends were safe from that particular enemy and he was sure as hell going to make sure that that was the case. If he could just keep them all alive and unharmed until the situation with Stephen was rectified, then he would be free to simply sail off to his horizon, and none of them need ever suffer for his mistakes again.

Jack got unsteadily to his feet, now was the time to face reality, it was time to make up a new crew, it was a task he was dreading for no-one could ever replace those that they had lost, and he couldn't help the weariness that he felt as he made sure that they got men that they could trust. He sighed deeply then reached across his desk and pulled his sacred hat up and placed it on his head, once more fastened his belt around his waist and sheathed his cutlass and pushed his pistol into his sash. He turned and inspected himself, and then with his Captain Jack façade firmly in place he turned on his heel and strode out of his cabin.

End Chapter Twenty One

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	22. Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two

Thank you all for your kind reviews!! Please keep them coming as I really want to get up to 150 reviews before this story is done, and there aren't that many more chapters left!!! Please please please review so I can rest easy at night knowing people are reading this!!!!

Chapter Twenty Two

Jack strode up to his first mate, his intentions clear, Gibbs and Ana turned around immediately almost surprised to see him up and about.

"All right there Captain?" Gibbs asked quietly, Jack still looked far too pale for his liking, and he really wasn't fond of the glint he saw present in the younger man's eyes.

"Just peachy Mr Gibbs, now the three of us have got some work to do" he told the two crew members that stood before him.

"What are we gonna be doing?" Ana asked when the Captain failed to elaborate.

"We're off to get us a new crew" Jack responded with a grin, then turned and headed off the ship leaving his friends to follow silently behind.

"Where have they gone?" Will asked his fiancée when he noticed the absence of any pirates aboard the ship.

"I really have no idea, Jack emerged from his cabin a short while ago, came and spoke to them and then the three of them left. I couldn't quite make out what was being said" Elizabeth responded, she had tried very hard to eavesdrop in the most ladylike way possible but just couldn't get close enough to hear what was being said. Will chuckled slightly to himself, he could imagine how hard she had tried, for a true lady Elizabeth Swan could be incredibly nosy and she honestly did not like being kept in the dark about anything. Will stopped laughing when he noticed the look the said lady was aiming in his direction.

"Well they can't have gone far, do you want to go and hunt for them?" Will asked, and wasn't in the least bit surprised when Elizabeth nodded her agreement. In no time at all the blacksmith and his lady were heading in the same direction that the pirates had taken a short while previously.

Jack swaggered in silence, determined not to let his inner turmoil show to his crew members, every now and then he stopped and instructed Gibbs and Ana to head into one of the taverns to hunt for any likely candidates, and more often than not they were successful. Jack sighed to himself; he knew that whoever they choose would find themselves locked into a battle probably sooner than they thought, for Jack had no intention of letting his cousin get away with the massacre of his friends, no way. Captain Jack sparrow could up with many things in life but having someone hurt the ones he loved that was firmly off the list. He took a deep breath before he became overwhelmed with rage, for now was not the time. He had no doubt in his mind that the time would come very soon, but first he had to make sure that he was ready for this was one battle he had no intention of losing.

Gibbs kept a discreet, yet concerned eye on his Captain, no matter how hard the younger man tried to disguise it Gibbs could clearly see the pain in his gaze. He sighed, he knew that at the moment the Captain was in a precarious position, his mind was so hell bent on vengeance, yet at the same time not letting the same fate befall his remaining friends, that he was sacrificing his own health and sanity. Gibbs loved Jack as a son, he had done for a number of years, and there was no way he was going to allow the infamous pirate Captain to self destruct.  Every time he went into a tavern he ensured that he only picked those that he personally knew, ones that he knew he could trust, for he would not risk his Captain's ship in unworthy hands, not this time. He looked across at Ana and could see his own thoughts clearly reflected in the woman's face, he knew that she loved Jack. The daft sod was just too blind to see it. He chuckled at the thought. The brave and fearless Captain Jack Sparrow too afraid to give his heart. The grin on the pirate's face faded as he remembered what he knew of the conflict between Jack and his cousin and suddenly another piece of the puzzle that was Jack clicked into space. He had been hurt, badly, more than once. Maybe that was yet another reason why the pirate chose not to trust even those close to him, the reason why he was never willing to give his whole self to any one person. Gibbs shook his head sadly. Jack was surrounded by people, yet not one of them fully knew the Captain, he never let them knockdown the wall that surrounded him, oh sure the chosen few got to look over the top, yet they were never allowed full unrestricted access. He sighed once more, then headed into the fifth tavern, his eyes casting a glance around the smoky room, seeking out familiar faces. His mind drawing up a blank he turned on his heel and headed back outside, where his Captain stood waiting.

"I'm gonna go and get a drink, I'll meet at the docks where I'll look at who ye've found" Jack told the older man and then headed off without waiting for a response. Gibbs nodded, and sighed to himself the whole situation bringing back memories of the last time he had diligently recruited a crew for Jack, although at the time it was for the Interceptor and young Will Turner was still unsure of Jack. Gibbs chuckled once more at how young Will had been then, still suspicious of the eccentric pirate Captain, and doubting his motives, swearing that he would never hold allegiance with a dirty pirate, yet now it was clear that the blacksmith loved jack wholeheartedly, yes he was yet another that had unknowingly fallen under the spell of the pirate and his strange ways.

Jack walked away unable to face the memories that each tavern dragged up, for the last time he had visited them had been his crew, his friends and each one held a story that at the moment his heart was too raw to remember. He walked in silence to the dockside intent on simply sitting there until Gibbs and Ana returned with the new recruits for his perusal. He sat down, his booted legs dangling over the edge, his hat still firmly on his head, starring out to sea he allowed his mind to drift. Unfortunately he allowed his mind to shut down to much, and was able to be caught unawares by the sharp dagger pressed into his throat.

End Chapter Twenty Two

Sorry for the delay folks!!

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	23. Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Three

Thank you all for your kind reviews! Much appreciated! Sorry for the delay guys I promise to be better and update more regularly from now on! But reality really bites and when people are unreasonable and expect you to actually go to work and study and train at Tae Kwon Do story writing unfortunately slips down the list!

Anyway I really am sorry and have firmly slapped my own wrist!!!

Chapter Twenty Three

"None of em match up to the crew do they?" Ana whispered to the fellow pirate walking beside her. Gibbs heaved a humungous sigh, Ana had just verbalised what he himself had been thinking.

"I don't suppose they are ever going to. But we can't keep comparing them to the dead that won't help anybody and it won't bring them back. I suppose we just have to take what we can get and hope it works out, if we're gonna help Jack then we have got to move on" Gibbs told the younger woman. Ana nodded.

"I know you're right, I guess I'm just worried about Jack is all" Ana replied.

"Well come on then, lets go back to the Captain the new recruits will be making their way down to the docks soon, be best if we beat em to it" Gibbs told the female pirate as he ushered her forward.

"Easy there mate" Jack muttered as he moved as carefully as his battered body would allow and promptly managed to move himself away from the cold steel of the blade.

"Are you Captain Sparrow?" the dark man asked the pirate, his tone confident.

"Depends whose asking now don't it?" Jack responded an arrogant smile plastered across his face displaying an array of gold and white teeth. The other man returned the grin and sheathed his blade before extending his hand out to the infamous pirate Captain. Jack looked at him quizzically, confused by the change in stance, he hesitated before reaching out and shaking the larger man's hand.

"Me name's Andrew Barnett, bloke named Gibbs told me to meet him down here to meet Captain Sparrow and see about joining the legendary crew of the black Pearl" the young man told the pirate before him, at his word Jack snorted in derision at the man's comments.

"Yeah legend would be right wouldn't it? Legends are things of the past, things that are dead and buried and long ago over" he commented, his tone more morose than even he had ever heard himself speak. Andrew at him puzzled, the man before him had an air of madness about him, but his eyes held a depth of emotions unlike any Andrew had seen before and far beyond what he had expected from the infamous pirate Captain. Andrew cocked his head to the side and just looked at the slighter man, the pirate obviously had tanned skin, yet somehow he seemed to have an unhealthy pallor to him, and his eyes were glassy with more than just emotional pain. "Sorry lad, I'm Captain Sparrow, welcome to me Pearl" he greeted the larger man as he seemed to snap himself out of his thoughts.

Ana and Gibbs walked back to the dock in silence, each lost in their own thoughts and emotions, and as such neither of them heard the footsteps quickly approaching from behind them. Gibbs whirled around as quickly as his overly large frame would allow him to, and his fist made firm contact with the jaw of his attacker.

"Mr. Gibbs what the hell do you think you are doing?" Elizabeth Swann asked her anger clear in her tone, as she knelt down besides her fallen fiancé. Will Turned sat on the ground his face cradled in his hands as he tried to stop the flow of blood from his almost broken nose.

"Sorry lass! I'm sorry William, I guess it's not just Jack that's a little jumpy" Gibbs complained, his tone clearly showing he felt guilty for his rash reaction. He stooped down and helped the shaken blacksmith stagger to his feet. Elizabeth turned an anger glare at the pirate.

"Maybe think next time!" she hissed at him, and he nodded mutely.

"Ah what's all the fuss about, the boy could obviously do with a bit of sense knocking into him, sneaking up on pirates like that" Ana joined in the conversation, and before Elizabeth could retort the pirate continued. "What are ye doing out here anyway?" she asked the young pair.

"Wll wen we gt up woz all gon so we wen lokign for you" Will attempted to explain through the cloth that he held tightly to his nose attempted to stem the flow of blood. Elizabeth rolled her eyes at his attempt to speak and picked up the tail herself.

"When we woke up there was no one to be found, and given the state that Jack has been in of late we thought it might be prudent to go and look for you. So that is how we ended up here" Elizabeth told them, and Ana rolled her eyes at the younger woman.

"Prudent huh? Honestly! I think the lad's version made more sense than that" Ana responded her tone scathing as her exhaustion began to catch up with her tongue and the young governor's daughter presented an easy target. Gibbs could easily tell what path the current conversation was heading, so jumped in quickly before it could become nasty.

"Well that's that settled then. We're all here to see Jack, so let's finish the journey to the docks together shall we, and see if our Captain has managed to stay out of trouble huh?" he prompted and silently the group followed the pirate to their friend and Captain.

End Chapter Twenty Three

That's it for now please review and you may get the next chapter on Thursday!!


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Four

Thank you all for your kind reviews! Please keep them coming through the remainder of this story!!!!

Chapter Twenty Four

The group soon found their friend talking softly with a larger man who Gibbs recognised from one of the taverns that the pirates had visited whilst searching for a new crew.

"Well at least we got one crew member" Gibbs muttered, and Ana rolled her eyes.

"Fat lot of bleeding good that'll do!" she commented. She turned away sighing deeply as she did so, and caught sight of a small group of seamen heading their way. "That'll do nicely though" she continued with a grin, and the rest of the group turned to gaze in the same direction, and grinned when they aught sight of the new crew of the Black Pearl.

Jack stood back and cast a casual eye over the motley crew assembled before him.

"I ain't ever seen such a bunch of scabbid dogs as you lot" he told them, in his mind each man before him was mentally being compared to the man he was replacing, and he had to admit not one of them measured up. He sighed deeply and rubbed his hand over his face, as he looked up his eyes caught those of Anamaria, she grinned lightly at him, she knew that he was struggling- not just with his physical injuries that were undoubtedly slowing him down, but more so with the fresh feelings of loss and pain as this chore brought home the fact that his friends were gone. "Right lads, welcome to the Pearl" Jack yelled out, with more enthusiasm than he felt, and without a backward glance he set off in long stead strides and led his new crew back to their ship. Ana followed closely behind- his steady steps causing her more concern than his usual swagger.

Jack walked back in silence, the journey was killing him, and every muscle in his body ached and fiercely protested so much movement so soon. He was dreading the next few days, he knew that they would have to set sail very soon, yet it was going o be very hard to see these strangers in the places of his family. He suppressed a shudder as his mind conjured images of the blood and death that surrounded his beloved ship. Nope, life was certainly going to be different from now on.

Ana watched the new crew dispassionately, she sighed to herself, some of them seemed better than others yet none of them were Marty and Cotton, yet somehow she knew that how she felt about the situation was nothing to how Jack felt, she could tell by the depth of emotion in his chocolate eyes. With one last glance she quickened her pace and caught her Captain up.

"Captain when we get back to the Pearl I think you should take a lie down while me and Gibbs get the new lot scrubbing the decks" she told him, and winced at her words, just the mention of the decks had her almost heaving as she thought of exactly what they would be scrubbing off, so god alone knew how it would make Jack feel. She had her next argument all lined up, yet nearly fell straight down to the deck when jack simply nodded in agreement. In truth he was too exhausted to argue, and that at that moment in time the idea of retiring to his cabin and forgetting his troubles for a few precious hours was too good to turn down.

Jack lowered himself gingerly onto his bed, he really was more exhausted than even he had realised. He stretched himself out, only sparing the time to remove his boots, and his sword- yet he kept it within easy reach, and then closed his eyes and allowed oblivion to take him in its grasp.

 _Andrew Barnett flipped the dagger in his confident grip, a sneer across his arrogant face. His eyes twinkled with merry naughtiness as his plan began to unfold. He walked across to where the only female pirate sat perched her legs dangling over the side of the majestic ship. He grinned to himself and took a place besides her. Without a moment's hesitation he slung his arm around her slender shoulders, and chuckled when she practically leapt into the air._

_"What the heck are you playin at?" she asked him in annoyance._

_"Just introducing meself is all" he responded the grin never leaving his face. She looked at him in confusion, he was a tough one to read, somehow he had already managed to get the Captain on side yet there was something about him that she just didn't like. _

_"Yeah well next time shaking hands will do" she told him, and turned to walk away, yet before she could move even a pace his arm had shot out and he gripped his shoulders in a vice like grip, and a knife was at her throat._

_"Now now missy, that's not a very nice way to speak to a gentleman now is it?" he taunted her, and she raised her chin in defiance._

_"Maybe when I see one I'll treat em with respect" she responded her tone cold, and showing no fear whatsoever. His face clouded over in fury as he pulled her closer._

_"I think you need to be taught some respect, if it wasn't for the fact that I need you to use against your precious Captain I'd slit your throat right now" he hissed in her ear and pushed the blade harder against the soft skin of her neck, pushing just hard enough to draw blood without causing any severe damage. _

_"You may as well kill me now, cos I ain't gonna be used against Jack" she told him, her eyes never leaving his. He shrugged his shoulders once nonchalantly. _

_"Well if that's the way ya want it" he told her as with one deft flick of the wrist he slit her wrist, the arterial spray catching him messily across the face, and with one swift push she fell overboard the ship lost to the deep expanse below._

End Chapter Twenty Four

A bit of action to wake you guys at the back up! ;-)

Please review!


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty Five

Thanks guys for all of your reviews! Please keep them coming!!!!!

Chapter Twenty Five

"No!" Jack yelled as he bolted up in his bed, his heart racing and his eyes wide in fear. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and took a moment to allow himself to get his breath back. As soon as he felt as though his legs would hold him up he got to his feet and went in search of his beloved Anamaria, he found her almost straight away leant against the railings starring out to sea with none other than Andrew Barnett stood besides her. With fire blazing in his chocolate brown eyes he took a deep breath and headed straight over to the dark pirate, he tapped her on the shoulder then plastering a grin over his face he whispered in her ear.

"Ana love, would ya go and muster me up some supper?" he asked her, knowing that normally he would receive a harsh slap for such audacity yet somehow he knew that would not happen that day. Lately Ana had been so concerned for him that she would do almost anything for him. She looked at him quizzically, unused to such a request from him as of late she had continually had to push him to eat. She nodded slightly and then headed off to see what she could fetch for her Captain. As soon as she was gone Jack turned his attention to the other man stood by, Andrew flashed his new Captain a grin, yet it was met with a cold look from the infamous pirate, and all of a sudden the new crew member found a pistol pointed firmly against his heart. He let out an astonished gasp at the turn of events.

"What's going on Captain?" Andrew asked the shock clear in his voice.

"Oh I think you know don't you huh Andy?" Jack asked the surprised young man.

"Seriously I have no idea what you are talking about" Andrew replied, his face losing all colour as the pirate Captain directed a hate filled gaze at him. Jack grabbed the man hard around his arm and dragged him so that he was balanced almost leaning over the edge of the railing.

"How much is Stephen paying you huh? How much was it worth for you to come on board MY ship, invade MY home and betray my trust?" Jack asked the man seething more and more with every word. Andrew gaped at him.

"What are you talking about? Who's Stephen?" he asked, and Jack paused momentarily the other man did sound as though he was actually telling the truth, yet Jack had been betrayed once by one of his best friends, a lesson hard learned.

"I think you know Andrew, now you and me are gonna go and have a little chat in my cabin" Jack told the other man and lead the way.

"What the hell is Jack up to?" Ana asked Will quietly, hoping against hope that the young blacksmith knew some of what was going on in the pirate Captain's head.

"I have no idea; he has just grabbed that new crew member, the one that you were talking to a few moments ago. He dragged him off with a gun held against him" Will told the female pirate.

"What? Why would he do that?" Ana asked her tone clearly showing her confusion and concern. Will shrugged his shoulders.

"I have no idea. Why don't you go and ask him?" Will asked her his eyes shining cheekily. Ana snorted in derision at his comment.

"There only room for one daft pirate on this ship, and Jack took that spot long ago" she responded, and walked away leaving Will chuckling at her comment.

Jack paced up and down, the other man's passionate defence was making him doubt himself, after all a dream was hardly proof was it? Yet he had been right before. He pulled on his beard in thought.

"All right then lady you tell me, which ship were you on before?" he asked his captive. Yet before the other man could answer Will Turner burst into the room.

"Jack come quick, there's a ship approaching fast" the young blacksmith told the pirate, and Jack followed him straight out of the cabin. He was up at the helm spyglass in hand in the blink of an eye. He scowled at what he saw.

"Right lets set sail, get to it you mangy sea dogs" he hollered out and the new crew snapped to it immediately each eager to prove themselves to their new Captain. Jack sighed, and headed back to his cabin to escort his prisoner down to the brig until he decided what to do with him. He stepped through the door and saw an empty chair and then his world turned to black as his head exploded with the impact of a heavy object.

End Chapter Twenty Five

Please review guys! This fic is nearing its climax and I really want lots and lots of reviews on it!!!


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Six

I have managed to pinch a bit of internet access briefly to post this chapter, hopefully my broadband should be back on in about ten years so hopefully I will be able to post as normal from that point, although obviously no guarantees! Anyway, many thanks for all of your kind reviews, they really mean a lot to me, I am so glad that this story seems to have been so popular, please keep the reviews and comments coming, as it does make the effort worth while, and it is great on the rare occasions that I get to check my e-mail to find lots of reviews awaiting me! So please take just a moment to review at the bottom of the page!

Chapter Twenty Six

"Where the 'eck has Jack got to?" Ana asked, her tone a mixture of concern and confusion, her Captain had been acting strangely of late, yet there was no way he would simply disappear just as battle was about to break out. Will exchanged a worried glance with the female pirate. He had not seen jack since he had gone to escort the prisoner to the brig, and had to admit that he too was confused by the pirate's strange behavior.

"I haven't seen him for a while, come on. Let's go and look for him?" Will offered as he began walking away immediately, Ana followed without as much as a word. The two made their way silently to the captain's cabin, and exchanged a look of worry at the partly open door. Ana stepped up to enter the darkened room, yet something was obstructing the doorway, given it a sharp shove the door finally opened the rest of the way to show a slumped figure on the floor with a pool of blood surrounding his familiarly dreadlocked hair.

"Oh sweet Jesus!" Ana cursed when she realised who the figure was. Will gasped when he saw the blood surrounding his friend's prone form. The two bent down and gently lifted Jack from the wooden floor, before silently carrying the limp figure across to the bed and laying him down on his back.

"Bloody hell! What's going on here?" a gruff voice asked from behind the two as Gibbs entered the room.

"I dunno, we just came in and found Jack on the floor covered in his own blood. Only Jack Sparrow could get himself based over the head on his own bleeding pirate ship" Ana responded, her concern for her Captain making her tone harsher than usual.

"Why does everyone always forget the bleeding captain, it's Captain Jack Sparrow savvy?" a weak voice cut in from the bed, followed immediately by a groan as the stubborn Captain attempted to draw himself up to a sitting position. Three sets of hands put a stop to his plan as his three concerned friends prevented him from hurting himself further in his attempt to once more rush himself back to full health.

"Jack? What the hell happened?" Gibbs asked, his voice sending bolts of pain through the delicate head of the pirate Captain. Jack barely repressed his wince, although did concede enough to refuse to open his eyes for fear of the light assailing them.

"Was that no good betrayer Barnett. Bastard's a traitor, part of their crew, he bashed over the head and scarpered" Jack replied, his voice a bare whisper until his emotion got the better of him and his voice rose in volume to match the anger he felt. Ana sucked in a worried breath through her teeth, desperately trying to refrain from comment, she didn't even ask how or why Jack thought that, for by now she had learnt to trust her Captain's instincts, what worried her more was how Jack was going to take this latest betrayal. He had already been hurt enough times in the past, and for all of his tough words, and reputation at the end of the Captain Sparrow was a man first and a pirate second, and there was only so many times he could survive his heart being trampled on and for such a betrayal to come so soon after his cousin's attack and the massacre of his only family could prove to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Where on earth have they all disappeared to?" Elizabeth spoke to herself. She felt so out of the loop already and it was only made worse by the constant disappearance of her friends, without even letting her know where they were going. She sighed deeply to herself and headed off to Jack's cabin hoping to find the missing blacksmith and pirates. She barged her way into the cabin and only just managed to prevent the angry words from leaving her mouth, as she noticed Will and Gibbs worriedly looking on as Anamaria gently bathed Jack's still bleeding head wound.

"What's happened?" Elizabeth asked Will quietly, and listened shocked as Will told her all that they had just found out.

"Well does anybody know where this Barnett has gone?" she asked, and the words barely left her mouth before a rather dizzy Captain had swayed past her intent on finding the answer to her question.

End Chapter Twenty Six

That's all for now, but be sure to check out my newly updated 21 Jump Street fic!!


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Seven

Hello once more kind folk. Many sincere apologies for the delay in update it is unintentional. This week has been amongst the best ever for this week I got a letter from the police, and I am in!! Yay! I start next week and officially become a police officer on the third, and I can hardly wait although I am kind of sad at leaving my current job especially since I have to give my BMW back! Anyway once again I am truly sorry to have kept you waiting for so long, but please keep reading and please keep the reviews coming!

Chapter Twenty Seven

"Jack!" Ana yelled, desperate to get the stubborn Captain to rest before he did himself even more damage.

"That good for nothing traitor is somewhere on me ship, and I want his blood now" Jack shouted back, the sheer anger in his voice surprising his friends, and the volume causing the Captain to wince as the sound reverberated around his damaged skull. Ana sighed in frustration, she couldn't believe how careless they had been, they should have realised immediately that the person that had harmed their captain would still be somewhere on board the Pearl, yet they had all been blinded by their concern for their friend to such a degree that that they hadn't even seen fit to make the ship safe once more. The small group were behind their friend and captain in a heartbeat, more to ensure that he didn't collapse into a heap than for any other purpose.

Jack muttered to himself as he walked along his deck, my how he hated being betrayed. No matter how many times somehow you trusted went against you, it always hurt that little bit each time, for there was no pain like the sting of betrayal. Jack attention was drawn away from a loud splash beside his ship, he cast a glance all around him, well used to the dirty tricks aimed at distraction that pirate's could use, and when he was satisfied that no one was about to leap out and stab him from behind he edged over to the railing and peered over the side, to see a figure swimming off in the distance. He sheathed his sword and cursed loudly, then he swayed as the dizziness caught up with him before unceremoniously passing out to the harsh wood of the deck.

"Bloody pirate" Elizabeth cursed as she found herself once more nursing the still form of Captain Jack Sparrow. "I don't understand why you find it so difficult to keep yourself out of trouble for five minutes" Elizabeth continued, more to hear a sound than expecting any answer from the injured pirate captain laid out before her. Ana stood to one side, enveloped in silence, she was so frustrated that once more her Captain had had trust thrown back in his face, yet to her some things just didn't quite make sense. Barnett could very easily have killed the defenceless pirate yet he had chosen to simply incapacitate the man and leave him where help would easily find him, and then rather than go back for the kill he had simply jumped ship, in her mind it simply did not add up. If the man had meant such ill intent towards the crew why leave when the moment was opportune to attack? She had shared her thoughts with Will and Elizabeth a short time before whilst Gibbs had been moving Jack to the Captain's cabin.

_Flashback_

_"I don't see why else he would bash Jack around the head unless he truly was the treacherous soul that Jack takes him for" Will had reasoned with the female pirate._

_"I don't know, but why would he leave him where help could easily find him?" Ana had shot back._

_"Well he wasn't to know that help would come so soon, Jack could easily have bled to death before any help arrived" Will responded, his tone growing angrier at the very thought of his friend perishing in such a manner. Elizabeth stepped between the two immediately, intent on preventing the argument that was brewing._

_"Enough!" she stated firmly, both hands raised to stop any protests before they even came. "This quarrelling is not going to help Jack to heal, and it isn't going to solve the mystery of exactly who Mr Barnett is, now might I suggest that we tend to Jack and discuss this once we know that he is resting comfortably?" the blacksmith and the pirate exchanged an uneasy glance, and then seemed to agree to disagree for the time being, as they both heaved a sigh and nodded once in acceptance before the three of them went to see how the Captain was faring._

_End Flashback_

The atmosphere in the cabin could be cut with a knife as Ana and Will refused to accept each other's opinions and theories on the recent happenings on board the pirate ship. Elizabeth found herself humming quietly as she worked, trying to avoid being drawn into any discussions with the combatants, she was willing Jack to wake up just so that he could hopefully provide some answers to the rest of the group. She carefully wrapped the bandage around his bloody head, hoping to the lord that she never had to stitch up his head again, for she could only imagine how much it would hurt should he be fully awake for it. As if she had voiced her thoughts out loud the still figure on the bed began to stir slightly. As soon as she noticed his attempts to rejoin the living Elizabeth gently placed her hand against the tanned, yet too pale, cheek of the pirate Captain as if to reassure him that it was safe to wake up. Jack dark lashes fluttered slowly open and with a groan his confused gaze met that of the young woman beside him. He blinked several times in an attempt to clear his dancing vision, and finally groaned when he realised that it wasn't in fact the movement of the ship that caused everything to sway before him.

"Bloody hell! What ship hit me?" Jack slurred, as he raised his hand to his throbbing head, which Elizabeth gently swatted away, keen to prevent the pirate from injuring himself further.

"Easy Jack, your hard head can only take so much damage" she told him with a wry smile, and he chuckled quietly in response, his trademark grin flashing across his pale face.

"Has anyone found Barnett?" he asked softly, his eyes closed firmly against the pounding in his head.

"No Jack, the blighter is good and gone" Ana responded, and could feel the frustration radiating from their Captain, there was only so many betrayals any man could take, and that included eccentric pirate Captains.

"Sleep Jack, and when you wake up we will form the plan of attack" Elizabeth spoke quietly to the vulnerable pirate, Jack sighed slightly to himself.

"Aye lass, that we will" he replied, sleep already pulling him into it's clutches.

End Chapter Twenty Seven


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Eight

Wow! I cannot believe how long it has been since I last updated this story. I am really very sorry to those of you have been reading it, I am now intending on pressing on with this and hopefully getting it completed as soon as possible! I am sorry, but please don't forget to review!

Chapter Twenty Eight

When Jack finally awoke most of the night had passed- thankfully uneventfully. The new crew didn't quite know what they had let themselves in for, not only had they narrowly escaped attack by another ship, but they had also seen their Captain knocked out by a member of his own crew- yet nobody was actually telling them exactly what was going on or quite why the Pearl had needed an entirely new ship.

Jack sat up slowly- keen not to repeat his previous mistakes. When he had reached his target position he blinked several times to clear his currently blurred vision, when he had managed to gain some semblance of normal he quickly noticed that he was not alone in the room, the gently snoring figure of William Turned sat, looking extremely uncomfortable, sound asleep in the chair in the corner of the cabin. Jack allowed a soft smile to cross his otherwise serious face, what had he done to get such loyal friends? The thought brought back extremely recent memories. Loyalty, what was loyalty after all? A word that was generally missing from the vocabulary of a pirate, yet his crew had had it in abundance. He shook his fragile head slightly desperate to clear the memories before they consumed him. Everything that went wrong in his life was because of betrayal- first the mutiny itself, then Barbossa's action in killing Maria and now his cousin continuously attacking him because of an inaccurate assumption- one that had cost the life of many of the bets men that Jack had ever known. Now. Well now there was Andrew Barnett proving to him once more that you should never fully trust anybody because when you do it leaves you even more open to getting hurt whether literally or figuratively.

PotC PotC

"I am glad that Jack appears to have settled" Elizabeth stated when a number of hours had passed and there was still no sign of either of the men surfacing from the Captain's cabin. Ana leant down from her perch half way up the rigging, where she was checking the binds, she nodded to herself. Her mind was still whirling around in confusion, who or what exactly was Andrew Barnett and why did he only injure Jack, when he had every opportunity of killing him. It wasn't that she wasn't immensely relieved that he hadn't killed the Captain that she loved with all her heart, it was more that it made the entire situation even more confusing and if it was one thing that she didn't like it was not understanding the enemy. She sighed before beginning her descent back to the deck.

"Yeah you're right they have been a while, but I know that it'll be hell getting Jack to rest until there is at least some news on where that rat Barnett has gone" Ana told her friend merely speaking her thoughts aloud. Elizabeth sighed, she knew that Anamaria was right, but she didn't have clue where to even start digging around for information on the other man. She had to admit to herself, that she did feel more than slightly out of her depth on this one but that was actual quite a familiar feeling when she was in Jack's company. Both women swung around at the same time upon hearing footsteps approaching them from behind, only to find Gibbs walking purposefully towards them.

"The whole ship has been searched, he is long gone" Gibbs told them both, not even waiting for them to greet him. Both of them sighed deeply, hoping for better news.

"Any volunteers to tell Jack?" Anamaria asked, herself not keen to undertake that particular conversation.

"Tell me what?" a voice asked softly from behind and the two pirates couldn't help but jump at the unexpected party in the conversation. None of them had heard the pirate Captain appear behind them, much quieter than any man should be able to move let alone one with such a recent gunshot wound and head injury. Jack allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction at sneaking up on them all, yet it was quick to disappear as he reiterated his previous question. "Tell me what?" he repeated, his tone clearly showing that he would not be delayed any further in receiving his answer.

"Er Captain, me and the lads have searched the Pearl from top to bottom, but there is no sign whatsoever of Barnett" Gibbs told the smaller man. Jack sighed deeply, it was disappointing, yet not unexpected news.

"Ah no matter Gibbs. Ta for yer efforts" he replied, shocking his friends with his clam acceptance.

"Erm, are you all right Jack?" Elizabeth asked, voicing all of their thoughts. Jack couldn't help the mild chuckle that escaped him.

"You thought that mad ole Captain Jack was gonna break on ya did ya?" he asked, not expecting or wanting an answer. "Didn't ya ever think that him being gone is a good thing?" he asked them, and when they continued to simply stare at him with their mouths agape he rolled his eyes. "When you all regain the ability to form sentences I shall be at the helm" he told them before spinning on his heel and walking away from the group in a surprisingly steady gait. The three stood back, all frozen in position, until they saw that Jack had disappeared from view.

"Well that went better than expected" Gibbs commented, seemingly lost for anything else to say. Elizabeth looked at him, confused by his choice of words, then she simply shook her head.

"Bloody pirates" she muttered before turning on her heel and walking away.

End Chapter Twenty Eight

Please review!


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Reposted due to missing speech marks!!!

Hi guys, so sorry for not updating for so long! But thank you so much for sticking with this, I am so pleased that people seem to still be reading it! Please keep reading it and please please please review, reviews really do help in keeping this coming!

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Elizabeth walked up cautiously to the pirate captain, keen not to sneak up on him and end up with a sword through her.

"Jack?" she prompted quietly, the Captain turned round slowly to look at the young woman.

"Yes luv?" he replied softly, his full attention never leaving the steady blue ocean in front of him.

"What are we doing now?" she asked, her naturally inquisitive nature needing information.

"We are going to war" he replied simply, before turning around and swaggering away. Elizabeth stood her mouth slightly agape and confusion written all over her beautiful face. After a few moments she pulled herself together, and followed behind the injured captain- if they were going to war, she knew where she needed to be.

Potcpotcpotc

"Right then ya bunch of good for nothin scabbid dogs- get the decks scrubbed, the sails sewn and the galley cleaned" Jack barked out at his gathered crew.

"Aye aye Captain" they chanted back as a unit, before turning and getting on with their task. There was a tension in the air on the Pearl a tension that suggested soon they would be battling and each and every one of the new crew members could feel it. Jack turned and approached Gibbs quietly.

"Mr Gibbs, take Ana and go and get the necessary" he told the larger man handing him a small purse of coins as he did so. "And dont forget plenty of rum" he added with a slight smile, Gibbs chuckled lightly- glad to finally see a flash of his friends usual manner returning.

"Aye Captain, I will get plenty of rum" he replied lightly, returning the grin. He then turned and went to get Ana before heading off into the town. As his two oldest friends left the ship Jack allowed a deep sigh to escape him and leant against the railings of his ship. Taking a moment to gather himself together, he placed his head in his hands and massaged his aching temples. His whole being throbbed, and in the back of his mind he knew he should rest and allow his failing body time to rest, but stopping would mean having time to think and that was the last thing that he wanted. He needed to get Stephen, he needed to kill him and his crew only then would his friends be safe. He shook his head slightly, no his friends would never be safe whilst he was around, Jack Sparrow only brought pain and death to those that he loved. Maybe he should have allowed himself to die when he was attacked, maybe that would have been better for everyone. He sighed once more and felt a pull in his battered torso reminding him of the injury that could easily have claimed his life, he blinked heavily against the tears welling in his tired eyes, why had he been so selfish? Why was he always so selfish? He just dragged everyone along on his revenge missions and gave no thought about how they felt about it or the risk it was putting them in. He stood upright as the realization hit him, how could he have been so stupid? Turning around he cast his gaze across the decks of his beloved Pearl, the ship that featured in all of the key chapters in his life, the ship that had gone through mutiny and betrayal with him, the latter many times. Why did he feel as though the Pearl was his true home when most of his time with her had been spent in pain and loss? He sighed once more before retreating to his cabin. He knew what he had to do.

Potcpotcpotcpotc

"I think he is getting back to himself" Gibbs commented to Ana as the two walked through the bustling market town set to gather all of the necessary supplies for whatever their eccentric captain might have planned for them and the rest of the crew.

"Hmm, I am not so sure, but I fully intend on keeping an eye on him" Ana replied, her concern radiating from her tone and her face serious. "I think that him focusing on finding Stephen and that ship will distract him for a while, but he aint even recovered from the original attack daft sod" she continued.

"Aye lass, youre right, his plans will keep him going we just need to be there when he finally comes back" Gibbs replied, the old navy man determined not to let anything get their friend and Captain.

Potcpotcpotcpotc

Will stood up and stretched back and far as he could, his back aching from scrubbing the decks with the rest of the crew. He grinned, as he caught sight of his fiance painting the railings, dressed in borrowed clothing looking like a true pirate lass. He chuckled, if Norrington could only see her now! She looked round at the sound of him and grinned slightly, she was all too aware of what she looked like, but she didnt care a bit- she would do whatever she needed to do to help Jack.

"Wheres Jack?" Will asked her as he walked over to stand beside her.

"He went into his cabin a little while ago, hopefully he will be getting some much needed rest" Elizabeth replied softly, glad that the two of them were there to help the pirate in his time of trouble. She would never admit it but she had been amazed and also extremely pleased when Jack had arrived at their door, granted the circumstances were not as she wished them- not by any stretch, but she was pleased that the pirate clearly did trust them, and the list of people that he trusted was very short indeed! Will nodded in response to his fiance.

"I shant disturb him then, sleep is one thing he does need" the young blacksmith replied.

Potcpotcpotcpotc

Jack sighed as he placed down the map that he had been studying intently, in his mind working out where he would be if he was Stephen, which was very difficult since Stephen was clearly hunting for him himself, he decided the best way to work it all out would be to look at where Stephen would think Jack most likely to go whilst being hunted by Stephen, which was confusing enough before he even looked at the maps in front of him. He reached across the desk for his bottle of rum, and stopped halfway as the stitches pulled tightly across his abdomen. He gasped at the bolt of lightening that shot through him at the movement. Hesitantly he staggered to his bed and hunched down, carefully he began to undo his shirt, he was appalled but not surprised to see the spread of the red of blood soaking through the bandages that Elizabeth had so painstakingly wrapped around him. He sighed shallowly so as to not cause any further agony, and carefully cut away the bandages to look at the wound underneath. His frustration grew as he looked at the seeping wound, yellow puss was oozing out of the treated wound and the flesh around the stitches was flaming red and burning to the touch. Bloody marvelous Jack muttered to himself as he reached once more for the rum. His mind whirled, as he felt sweat dripping into his eyes. With a disgusted sigh he did something unprecedented. He wrapped his shirt around his mid section, got unsteadily to his feet and stepped out of the cabin. His keen eyes sought out Elizabeth on the deck and with a sigh he swaggered over to her.

"Lizzie love, can you join me in my cabin?" he asked her, with a wink. Elizabeth was not fooled, the pale face and fever glazed eyes told her a more worrying story than his relaxed tone and cheeky conduct. She nodded wordlessly and followed the Captain into his cabin, exchanging a quick glance with Will as she did so.

"Whats the matter Jack?" she asked softly, knowing that there was an ulterior motive for bringing her into his sanctuary.

"I think I might have a problem love" he replied, easing his shirt away to show her his blatantly infected wound. Elizabeth gasped in shock at how severe his injury looked, how was he even on his feet?

"Lie down Jack" she told him, and one look at her face told the pirate that there was no arguing. He eased himself down onto the bed, all energy deserting him. "How long has it been like this?" she asked him urgently.

"I dunno Lizzie, first time I checked" Jack replied, his eyes closed against the pain radiating through him.

"Sorry Jack, I should have kept an eye on this" Elizabeth replied, cursing herself. Jacks eyes shot open at her words.

"No love, I am a big boy, I am all right on me onesies, not your responsibility savvy?" he replied, rather than make her feel better, the more than normal slur to his words simply served to concern her more.

"Stay there Jack, I need to get some supplies" she told him, as she left the room, urgency in her every word. He nodded, for once he was planning on doing as he was told.

"Captain, its Captain" he whispered to himself, allowing the darkness to claim him as the fever ravished his body.

End Chapter Twenty-Nine

Please please review, next chapter will be up in a couple of days if I get at least some reviews!!!!


	30. Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

I know people are still reading this story- as I can tell by the number of hits shown- please if you are reading this please please please leave a review! I know that the first posting that an issue because for some reason deleted out all of the speech marks. Please do review though, they really do keep us lowly writers going.

Chapter Thirty

Elizabeth frantically sought out the supplies that she deemed necessary to help her wounded, poorly friend. She sighed in frustration as she looked, why was it that every time Jack seemed to be doing better something would kick the pirate Captain back down. Grabbing the items she dashed back towards her friends cabin, literally colliding with Will as she did so.

"Elizabeth? Whats going on?" he asked softly, concern written all over his expressive eyes.

"Jack" she replied, before simply continuing on her journey- leaving a surprised blacksmith in her wake

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"Jack?" Elizabeth called out softly, not wishing to startle the pirate with an unannounced entrance.

"Its Captain Jack Miss Swan, savvy?" he replied, causing the young woman to smile- grateful to find her friend still awake and capable of his usual humour.

"This might hurt" she told him gently, knowing that the pirate probably knew more than she did how much more suffering he was going to have over the next few days- yet she still felt inclined to fill the silence. Jack nodded wordlessly, his eyes remaining closed in preparation. "Before I start, drink some of this" Elizabeth told him handing him a bottle of rum, and he struggled to an almost seated position to accept the drink. He sipped at the substance, his energy deserting him, before handing it back to his carer. Elizabeth took a deep breath, then carefully removed the bandages to begin her task.

Potcpotcpotcpotc

"What are you doing?" Josh Gibbs asked the young blacksmith loitering outside the door of the captains cabin.

"Jack summoned Elizabeth for something and I have not seen either of them emerge since and some time has passed" Will explained to the larger man. Gibbs stroked his stubbled, dirty chin in thought.

"Curious, what did Jack seem like lad?" he asked, concern growing for his friend.

"Clipped and to the point" Will replied, thinking back on the matter he continued "Pale, and sickly" he completed- thinking aloud. Gibbs sighed to himself softly.

"Leave them to it, with 'lizabeth there he is in safe hands" he replied, Will hesitated slightly before nodded curtly and following the older man.

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Elizabeth sighed as she pulled the blankets over the fallen captain, it was no surprise to her that the wound he had sustained had ended up getting infected after all that he had been through. She felt a wave of exhaustion come over her as she surveyed her friend. He had passed out halfway through her ministrations and it couldnt have come sooner for her. She hated hearing the sharp intake of breath and she cleaned the raging wound, and the sweat that was glistening on the mans forehead as the fever attacked his body. She stood back for a moment and watched the steady rise and fall of his chest as he lay encompassed in a mountain of blankets- desperately trying to sweat out the fever that was threatening his life. Elizabeth turned round to leave the room and was nearly knocked to the ground by the door being flung open and Anamaria stepping into the dimly lit room. Elizabeth desperately raised her finger to her lips in order to quieten the expected questions from the female pirate, and once she had gained the other womans attention she guided her out of the room and onto the deck.

"Whats 'appened to 'im?" the older woman asked quickly, a voice a mere hiss.

"Fever has set upon him" Elizabeth replied, her own tiredness and concern evident in her reply. Anamaria paused for a moment, noticing the weariness of the other girl, and deciding not to push things.

"Get yourself to bed, Ill stay with the Captain" Ana told her, a hint of kindness in her tone. The governors daughter smiled in thanks, grateful for not having to face too much of an inquisition, she simply nodded and then turned to go to her lodgings for the night. As soon as the younger girl had gone Ana took a breath before turning and going back to her Captains side- it was where she belonged.

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"Bloody Hell!" Ana exclaimed as she felt herself falling from her perch on the chair beside the bed, snatched out of her sleep and flying quickly towards the floor. Her descent was just broken, before her face struck the wooden floor. "Will Turner! What the blazes are ya trying to do ta me!" she exclaimed at the man who had caused her rude awakening and saved her from injury. Will tried to suppress the chuckle, but before he could reply another voice joined the conversation.

"Thats what I were wondering" a hoarse whisper came from the bed.

"Ah, Jack I didnt mean to wake you" Ana told her Captain softly and moving towards the bed that housed him. As she did so fever glazed eyes locked onto her.

"No worries love, is time for me to check on me ship any ways" he replied, and made to leave the bed. It took a moment for his words to set into her sleep fuddled brain, however as they did indignation took over her.

"Oh no you dont!" she seethed at him, gently pushing him back down into a laying position.

"I am the Captain of this ship love, Ill do as I want" he replied, however his energy had once more run out as he could not find the strength to push himself back up.

"And what exactly does the Captain want to do?" Will asked softly, his eyes smiling kindly.

"I think I might just stay here a while" Jack replied, drifting off back to a healing sleep. When the two occupants were sure that the object of their interest had once more drifted off into oblivion they turned their attention back to each other.

"What were you wanting Will?" Ana asked, no malice in her tone.

"I just came to check on you both and offer to swap places so that you could get some rest- I didnt realise that it was unnecessary" he told her, his smile taking the sting out of his words.

"I am fine to stay with him, but thank you" she replied, unoffended by his comment.

"Would you like me to get you something to eat?" he asked her, not quite ready to leave his friends room yet.

"Aye, lad that would be nice" she replied, her gaze never leaving the sleeping form of her captain. Without further comment, Will turned and left the room- happy in the knowledge that Jack was okay with the woman he loved by his side, and Will would make sure that she was all right.

End Chapter Thirty

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